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

Yields across much of the G7 have surged in recent months as investors fret over stubbornly high inflation and unrelenting borrowing, with economists voicing particular worry over a potential European debt crisis. — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

After the duke’s death in 1972, the duchess, in increasingly poor health, fretted about what to do with her massive collection. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026

Ratings agencies and investors are fretting about leverage as the combined company enters a shifting media landscape with $80 billion in debt after one of the biggest leveraged buyouts in corporate history. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

At the time, engineers fretted about the safest way to move so much water to the other side while maintaining the dam’s integrity. — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026

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