Synonyms of fret

fret 1 of 2

verb

ˈfret 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• erode
• eat
• corrode
• gnaw
• bite (at)
• nibble
• destroy
• ruin
• decompose
• waste
• disintegrate
• dissolve
• wreck
• break down
• break up
• decimate
• devastate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• restore
• renew
• refresh
• recreate
• revive
• regenerate
• rejuvenate
• freshen
• revitalize
• refreshen

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wear
• fray
• erode
• rub
• chafe
• reduce
• abrade
• gall
• bite
• erase
• shave
• eat
• scrape
• sharpen
• corrade
• gnaw
• frazzle
• file
• rasp
• scour
• graze
• nibble
• chew
• scuff
• corrode
• wear out
• grate
• wipe (away)
• grind
• disintegrate
• rub out
• sandpaper
• decompose
• sandblast
• whet
• dissolve
• hone
• break down
• break up

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• worry
• fear
• stress
• bother
• trouble
• stew
• fuss
• sweat
• long
• give a hang
• sweat blood
• pine
• yearn
• agonize
• despair
• chafe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accept
• take
• endure
• tolerate
• sustain
• bear
• abide
• stomach
• stick out

4

as in to irritate

to make sore by continued rubbing

the stiff, starchy collar was fretting my neck, and I couldn't wait to change out of that costume

Synonyms & Similar Words

• irritate
• scratch
• scrape
• chafe
• excoriate
• abrade
• gall
• graze
• skin
• burn
• peel
• inflame
• flay

fret

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• panic
• fuss
• huff
• sweat
• tizzy
• dither
• lather
• pother
• fluster
• stew
• swelter
• twitter
• swivet
• bother
• dudgeon
• ado
• pique
• hysteria
• alarm
• hand-wringing
• agitation
• delirium
• nervous breakdown
• furor
• distraction
• uproar

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fret

Verb

Take-Two’s stock has slid as investors fret over the breach, but industry analysts and USC experts say even a playable leak is unlikely to dent the game franchise’s record-shattering sales. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Investors worldwide fret that tech firms’ revenues are struggling to keep up with the AI spending spree, which has added substantially to their debt piles, part of the reason some have pivoted to selling equity as Google also did in June. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Harvard University’s policy capping A grades among undergraduates doesn’t officially start for another year, but students heading back to school this fall are already fretting over the changes. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile in England, Queen Victoria fretted about receiving a gemstone obtained in such an unsavory way, and worried about the condition of Duleep. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

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