1
as in to erode
to consume or wear away gradually
over the span of thousands of years, the annual spring runoff fretted the rock, forming a deep channel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wear
to damage or diminish by continued friction
don't let the girth fret the horse's belly or you won't be able to ride him
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3
as in to worry
to experience concern or anxiety
don't fret over whether it will be sunny tomorrow, as there's nothing we can do about it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in panic
a state of nervous or irritated concern
one of my customers always gets into a fret if I'm so much as 15 minutes late delivering his newspaper
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of fret
Emily Weaver, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Artists have always fretted about the pressure to conform, but the data-driven, music-as-content era feels different.
—Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Forget about fretting whether Deebo Samuel gets the ball – and drops it or not.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 21 Dec. 2024
That’s why historically simply staying invested in U.S. stocks and not fretting about news and valuations has been a reasonable strategy.
—Simon Moore, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fret 
Verb
If Santa didn’t bring you a Le Creuset Dutch oven this year, don’t fret because Amazon is here to the rescue.
—Emily Weaver, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Artists have always fretted about the pressure to conform, but the data-driven, music-as-content era feels different.
—Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Forget about fretting whether Deebo Samuel gets the ball – and drops it or not.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 21 Dec. 2024
That’s why historically simply staying invested in U.S. stocks and not fretting about news and valuations has been a reasonable strategy.
—Simon Moore, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fret
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fret
Verb
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Some market watchers said such moves would help weaken the dollar, bolstering exports and eroding America’s huge trade deficit, a point of frustration for Trump.—
Andrew Ross Sorkin,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
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This shift has eroded our industrial base, closing factories, costing jobs and weakening domestic production.—
Matthew Putman,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Contrast this with the simplicity of the looks worn in the earlier years of the league.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
23 Jan. 2025
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The superstar took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday (Jan. 23) to share a video wearing headphones while sitting at what appears to be a studio desk, before grabbing the phone and turning it around to reveal the screen in front of her, blocking its contents with a red heart emoji.—
Rania Aniftos,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Another worried the fire had crept out of the Palisades toward Santa Monica Canyon, endangering his house.—
Shawn Hubler,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
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As writers stopped worrying about viewers losing the thread, their shows started resembling ultra-long films.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Prolonged exposure to vog can irritate the eyes, throat and lungs, particularly for those with preexisting respiratory conditions.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
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Rising temperatures also accelerate the production of ground-level ozone, a harmful gas that irritates airways and can trigger asthma attacks.—
Bill Frist,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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People who are impacted by natural disaster may feel a strong sense of grief, panic, loss, fear and sadness, according to the University of Houston's Department of Psychology.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
17 Jan. 2025
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By the end of the 90-minute debate, those who had been able to bear sticking around were in a panic.—
Annie Karni,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Eating it: Some folks spoon directly into their mouths.—
Ann Maloney,
NOLA.com,
19 July 2017
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Miami was last in the NFL at 57 plays per game last season partly because the offense didn’t convert effectively on third downs, but also because the porous run defense allowed opponents to eat up the clock.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun-Sentinel.com,
19 July 2017
Verb
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The warning frayed nerves of residents who have seen three days of blazes after a massive windstorm Tuesday.—
James Powel,
USA TODAY,
10 Jan. 2025
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But as the edges of the world grow frayed by human hands, the untouched wilderness has become increasingly elusive.—
Ashlee Marie Preston,
Forbes,
9 Jan. 2025
Verb
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For seeds with a hard seed coat, scraping them on 150-grit sandpaper scratches the seed coat enough to allow the seed to soak up or imbibe water.—
Markis Hill,
Kansas City Star,
17 Jan. 2025
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Many lawyers are also scratching their heads over Drake’s case.—
Justin Curto,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near fret
Cite this Entry
“Fret.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fret. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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