What is the meaning of fret?

noun

  • Agitation resulting from active worry.
    • usage: "don't get in a stew"; "he's in a sweat about exams"
  • A spot that has been worn away by abrasion or erosion.
  • An ornamental pattern consisting of repeated vertical and horizontal lines (often in relief. )
    • usage: "there was a simple fret at the top of the walls"
  • A small bar of metal across the fingerboard of a musical instrument; when the string is stopped by a finger at the metal bar it will produce a note of the desired pitch.

verb

  • Worry unnecessarily or excessively.
    • usage: "don't fuss too much over the grandchildren-they are quite big now"
  • Be agitated or irritated.
    • usage: "don't fret over these small details"
  • Provide (a musical instrument) with frets.
    • usage: "fret a guitar"
  • Become or make sore by or as if by rubbing.
  • Cause annoyance in.
  • Gnaw into; make resentful or angry.
    • usage: "The injustice rankled her"; "his resentment festered"
  • Carve a pattern into.
  • Decorate with an interlaced design.
  • Be too tight; rub or press.
    • usage: "This neckband is choking the cat"
  • Cause friction.
    • usage: "my sweater scratches"
  • Remove soil or rock.
    • usage: "Rain eroded the terraces"
  • Wear away or erode.
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APAWordNet. (2010). fret. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/fret/definitions/1204257
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "fret" http://smartdefine.org/fret/definitions/1204257 (accessed September 21, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, fret, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/fret/definitions/1204257>.
MLAWordNet. "fret" 23 October 2010. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/fret/definitions/1204257>
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