as in panics
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
Relevance
1
as in erodes
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wears
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
3
as in worries
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 frets
John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
As Kirk frets about commanding a hybrid Farragut–Enterprise (but mostly Enterprise) crew, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, and Chapel arrive with an assessment of the situation.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Emma Soren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
But the good-neighbor vibe is starting to sour as Colombia frets about river access.
—John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
As Kirk frets about commanding a hybrid Farragut–Enterprise (but mostly Enterprise) crew, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, and Chapel arrive with an assessment of the situation.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Instead of asking if Kyle is okay, Fraser frets that her husband paid the tip.
—Emma Soren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frets
Verb
-
Copper erodes naturally during the distillation process, Morris told me.—
Maggie Menderski,
The Courier-Journal,
12 Sep. 2025
-
An act like this just further feeds into the cycle of fear, grievance and retaliation that erodes democratic norms and highlights the dangerous realities that public figures across the political spectrum now have to deal with.—
Nick Mordowanec
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But sometimes her faith wears thin.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Sep. 2025
-
This type of nonsense from [in-laws] is what wears on you over the years.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The growing number of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) also worries space sustainability experts, who warn about the increasing risk of orbital collisions.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
But the immigration worries – with threats of arrest, detention, and deportation for workers – are just one way Trump’s policies are holding back construction.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
During his appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast alongside his The Roses costar Olivia Colman, the 49-year-old actor opened up about what irritates his family members.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
The news irritates Lord Lovat, knowing that if the MacKenzie brothers thought Ellen had run off with Malcom Grant, and Dougal (Sam Retford) was dumb enough to beat Malcom as a result, there has to be a moral lapse in judgment somewhere.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Most days Di Giacomo eats 147 grams of protein and 321 grams of carbs.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Over time this eats away at your confidence and cause even the most talented and ambitious of entrepreneurs to play small rather than expand.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Conjuring the troubled inner life of a young, beautiful and successful Buenos Aires fashion designer with an uncommon mix of stylistic rigor and feeling, the film frays your nerves.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Light scratches in just the poly can be remedied with a 'restoring' product like Rejuvenate.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
-
An elevator pitch barely scratches the surface.—
Gina Riley,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When actually on the way to the stadium itself, players dressed informally, sometimes just in team sweats.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Tsful Wide-Leg Pants Instead of joggers or sweats, the actress paired her top with matching cropped pants for a more elegant look.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frets. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share