Fret comes from the Old English verb fretan, “to devour,” which shares an ancestor with another verb, etan, the ancestor of eat. In centuries past, animals—or monsters, in the case of Grendel —were …

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

A fret is any of the thin strips of material, usually metal wire, inserted laterally at specific positions along the neck or fretboard of a stringed instrument.

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.

If you fret about something, you worry about it. I was working all hours and constantly fretting about everyone else's problems. But congressional staffers fret that the project will eventually cost billions …

Fret definition: To be vexed or troubled; worry.

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

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

Apr 3, 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 …

It turned out that it was nothing to fret about/over. Don't get in (such) a fret! We won't miss the plane.