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DictionaryfretWorry
verb / noun

fret

FRET/fret/

To wear away through persistent irritation.

The loose metal parts fret against each other as they vibrate.

A middle-aged East Asian woman sits on the edge of a plain chair, fretfully twisting a tissue between her hands, with tense shoulders, a furrowed brow, and an uneasy sidelong gaze.
Etymology
fretOld Englishto devour, consume

The old meaning 'devour' suggests emotions consuming the heart or mind. The anxiety sense may come from this image or from rubbing and wearing away; it later came to mean worrying oneself.

In context

Aeon Video6:58
Don't worry, don't worry, do not fret, [laughs] I'm not going to evict you.
Living under the eye of an intrusive landlady | One Year Lease

More examples

  • Constant rubbing has fretted a groove in the wooden post.
  • Salt water frets away the exposed metal.
  • The moving chain frets a narrow groove in the wooden rail.

Forms

fret · frets · fretted · fretting

Similar words

chafe
Emphasizes irritation or damage caused specifically by repeated rubbing.
corrode
Specifically describes gradual destruction through chemical action, especially on metal.
erode
Covers gradual wearing away without requiring rubbing or irritation.