fret — to worry or be anxious about something continuously
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to worry or be anxious about something continuously
Pronunciation (IPA): /fret/
Example Sentences
- My mom frets so much about my dating life that she's practically running a background check service.
- Stop fretting about the presentation - you've rehearsed it a hundred times!
- He frets about everything from global warming to whether his socks match.
fret
VERB[/fret/]
to worry or be anxious about something continuously
She continued to fret about tomorrow's exam, biting her nails on the couch.
F(fear) + RET(return) — consumed by F(fear) while waiting for the angry boss to RET(return), the employee continued to fret.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, the nervous actor continued to fret right before the curtain opened.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Old English 'fretan', originally meaning 'to eat up' or 'to devour'. Over time, the meaning evolved from literal consumption to physical wear and abrasion, and subsequently to the metaphorical sense of mental anxiety or worry.
Breakdown
Old English 'fretan' (to eat, devour) underwent semantic shift, narrowing to 'to wear away' or 'to corrode' through friction, then extending to 'to worry' or 'to be anxious', reflecting the image of worry eating away at the mind.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My mom frets so much about my dating life that she's practically running a background check service.”
“Stop fretting about the presentation - you've rehearsed it a hundred times!”
“He frets about everything from global warming to whether his socks match.”
“The constant waves fretted the coastline over thousands of years.”
📚Related Words
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