fret
UK[fret]US[fret]
v
To be constantly or visibly worried or anxious.
v
To gradually wear away or erode something by rubbing or gnawing.
n
A state of anxiety or irritation.
Etymology
The word 'fret' originates from the Old English fretan, which meant "to eat up, devour". This verb was itself a combination of an intensive prefix and the common verb for eating. The core concept of consumption or gnawing persisted as the meaning evolved. By the Middle English period, the sense of "to eat away" was extended metaphorically to describe the corrosive effects of rust or erosion. From this physical wearing away, the modern psychological meaning—the gnawing or wearing effect of anxiety on one's mind—emerged, completing the journey from literal consumption to figurative worry.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Old English origin. The modern form 'fret' is a direct descendant of the Old English verb fretan, meaning "to devour, consume, eat". It is a compound of the prefix for- (intensive) and the verb etan (to eat), but this structure is not segmentable from the modern spelling 'fret'.
Examples
She began to fret about the upcoming exam results.
The constant friction had fretted away the surface of the metal.
He was in a terrible fret, pacing the room and unable to sit still.