FRET Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

fret 1 of 2

verb

ˈfret

Definition of fret

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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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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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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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

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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

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fret

Verb

With their case, the buds have up to 30 hours of battery life, so don't fret about running out of juice every day. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026 The company’s shares are down double digits over the past year, as investors have fretted over AI’s impact on software, Microsoft’s reliance on OpenAI for most of its AI cloud computing business, and its heavy data center spending. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 6 July 2026 But the recent action on Anthropic, as well as asking OpenAI to limit its own newest model, comes after experts have fretted for months that Mythos could pose a security risk by giving hackers and other bad actors access to AI capable of finding and exploiting vulnerabilities exceptionally quickly. — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 27 June 2026 But where some insiders fretted about the social blowback, Jenkins knew the flap was priceless marketing for the brand. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fret

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fret

Verb

Without that know-how, the investment sits idle and erodes unseen.

— Kerry Huang, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
This smoke has eroded decades of air quality improvements in parts of the US, particularly in the West.

— Brandon Miller, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Definition of erode

Verb

Public polls have shown him with an early lead over Collins, and key Republicans worry about their chances in what was once seen as one of the GOP’s best pickup opportunities.

— Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
Later, Feinmann said his words were not directed at the Mexican people — while musing that Sheinbaum had bigger things to worry about, like combating narco-trafficking, violence and corruption.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of worry

Verb

Indoor air can carry particles and gases that irritate growing lungs and airways, making breathing problems and infections more likely.

— Dr. Lauren Zajac, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026
Formaldehyde can irritate our eyes, throats, noses and lungs, but can also cause cancer — suggesting that exposure to persistent wildfire smoke could become more toxic as time goes on.

— Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Definition of irritate

Noun

The Red Sox have surged without their injured ace, Garrett Crochet, who last pitched on April 25, the day Breslow fired manager Alex Cora and five coaches in a panic move, power play or, perhaps, a prescient vision of what a change could mean.

— Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Mediation may yet come back into focus if oil markets panic and the price of crude returns above $100 on the back of shrinking reserves worldwide.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

Definition of panic

Verb

After facing a man-eating Cyclops (Bill Irwin) and an island full of armored giants known as the Laestrygonians, the Greeks land on Circe’s island on the hunt for food.

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 19 July 2026
What’s more thrilling than watching dinosaurs try to eat people alive on the big screen?

— Matt Minton, Variety, 19 July 2026

Definition of eat

Verb

The mix-up may have contributed to souring the communication between the legal teams of the companies, whose relationship appears to be increasingly frayed.

— NBC news, NBC news, 15 July 2026
The terms of the memorandum have been hazily defined, and the agreement has quickly frayed.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 14 July 2026

Definition of fray

Cite this Entry

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“Fret.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fret. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of fret

verb

noun

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