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What is the difference between fret and worry?

fret | worry |

Worry is a synonym of fret.



In intransitive terms the difference between fret and worry

is that fret is to worry or be anxious while worry is to be troubled, to give way to mental anxiety.

In transitive terms the difference between fret and worry

is that fret is to chafe or irritate; to worry while worry is to cause concern or anxiety.

As verbs the difference between fret and worry

is that fret is to devour, consume; eat while worry is to seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.

As nouns the difference between fret and worry

is that fret is the agitation of the surface of a fluid by fermentation or other cause; a rippling on the surface of water while worry is a strong feeling of anxiety.

As an initialism FRET

is förster resonance energy transfer.

fret

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

Verb

  • To devour, consume; eat.
  • * (rfdate)— Piers Ploughman.
  • Adam freet of that fruit, And forsook the love of our Lord.
  • * Wiseman
  • Many wheals arose, and fretted one into another with great excoriation.
  • (transitive, and, intransitive) To gnaw, consume, eat away.
  • To be worn away; to chafe; to fray.
  • A wristband frets on the edges.
  • To cut through with fretsaw, create fretwork.
  • To chafe or irritate; to worry.
  • To worry or be anxious.
  • * , chapter=5
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=Of all the queer collections of humans outside of a crazy asylum, it seemed to me this sanitarium was the cup winner. […] When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose.}}
  • To be vexed; to be chafed or irritated; to be angry; to utter peevish expressions.
  • *
  • *:Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
  • * Dryden
  • He frets , he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground.
  • To make rough, agitate, or disturb; to cause to ripple.
  • to fret the surface of water
  • To be agitated; to be in violent commotion; to rankle.
  • Rancour frets in the malignant breast.
  • (music) To press down the string behind a fret.
  • To ornament with raised work; to variegate; to diversify.
  • * Spenser
  • whose skirt with gold was fretted all about
  • * Shakespeare
  • Yon grey lines, / That fret the clouds, are messengers of day.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The agitation of the surface of a fluid by fermentation or other cause; a rippling on the surface of water.
  • (Addison)
  • Agitation of mind marked by complaint and impatience; disturbance of temper; irritation.
  • He keeps his mind in a continual fret .
  • * Pope
  • Yet then did Dennis rave in furious fret .
  • Herpes; tetter.
  • (Dunglison)
  • (mining, in the plural) The worn sides of river banks, where ores, or stones containing them, accumulate by being washed down from the hills, and thus indicate to the miners the locality of the veins.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) < (etyl), from the verb (m).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (music) One of the pieces of metal/wood/plastic across the neck of a guitar or other musical instrument that marks note positions for fingering.
  • An ornamental pattern consisting of repeated vertical and horizontal lines (often in relief).
  • * Evelyn
  • His lady's cabinet is adorned on the fret , ceiling, and chimney-piece with carving.
  • (heraldiccharge) A saltire interlaced with a mascle.
  • Derived terms
    * fretboard

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A strait; channel.
  • Etymology 4

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (dialectal, North East England) A fog or mist at sea or coming inland from the sea.
  • Anagrams

    * ----

    worry

    English

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To seize or shake by the throat, especially of a dog or wolf.
  • Your dog’s been worrying sheep again.
  • To harass; to irritate or distress.
  • The President was worried into military action by persistent advisors.
  • Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress.
  • Your tone of voice worries me.
  • To be troubled, to give way to mental anxiety.
  • Stop worrying about your test, it’ll be fine.
  • (transitive, obsolete, except in Scots) To strangle.
  • To cause concern or anxiety.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Can China clean up fast enough? , passage=That worries the government, which fears that environmental activism could become the foundation for more general political opposition.}}

    Synonyms

    * (trouble mentally) fret

    Noun

    (worries)
  • A strong feeling of anxiety.
  • :
  • An instance or cause of such a feeling.
  • :
  • Derived terms

    * worried * worrisome