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DictionaryfretWorry
verb

fret

FRET/fret/

To worry or be visibly anxious.

The woman frets, twisting a tissue between her hands.

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
fretanOld Englishto devour or consume

Eating away and rubbing became a metaphor for worry consuming or vexing someone.

More examples

  • Do not fret about the small delay.
  • She tends to fret when the children are late.

Forms

fret · frets

Similar words

worry
A broader term for anxious thoughts.
agonize
Suggests more intense, prolonged mental distress.