While fretting today usually involves a concern that is figuratively eating at someone, fret has older senses that apply to literal eating. Fret comes from the Old English verb fretan, “to devour,” which …

FRET definition: to feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent, or the like. See examples of fret used in a sentence.

fret noun [C] (RAISED BAR) a thin, slightly raised metal bar, several of which are positioned across the neck (= long, narrow part) of some musical instruments, such as a guitar

If you fret about something, you worry about it. I was working all hours and constantly fretting about everyone else's problems. [V + about/over] But congressional staffers fret that the project will …

1. to feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent, or the like. 2. to cause corrosion; gnaw into something: acids that fret at the strongest metals.

Fret definition: To be vexed or troubled; worry.

Definition of fret verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Feb 17, 2026 · fret (plural frets) (music) One of the pieces of metal, plastic or wood across the neck of a guitar or other string instrument that marks where a finger should be positioned to depress a string …

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Britannica Dictionary definition of FRET [count] : any one of a series of ridges on the neck of some stringed musical instruments (such as a guitar) — compare 2 fret