fret
gb/fɹˈɛt/ us/fɹˈɛt/
B2
English
~ 9700
aggódik, rágódik, kikezd, koptat, bund, idegeskedés, görögkulcsminta, meanderminta, lefog
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
to fret about/over [something]
Try not to fret about things you can’t control.
Próbálj meg nem aggódni olyan dolgok miatt, amelyeket nem tudsz befolyásolni.
She spent the whole weekend fretting over the exam results.
Az egész hétvégét a vizsgaeredményeken rágódva töltötte.
He always frets about money, even when everything is fine.
The parents were fretting because their daughter was late.
Stop fretting and just make a decision.
Learner examples
Don’t fret about your mistake; it is small.
Ne aggódj a hibád miatt; kicsi.
He frets over his job every day.
Minden nap a munkája miatt aggódik.
She frets too much about what other people think.
My mom frets when I come home late.
I try not to fret about the future.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *fret* where *worry* is more natural in very basic conversation. *Fret* is correct but can sound slightly more formal or written. They also sometimes say *fret for* instead of *fret about/over* when talking about the thing that causes worry.
Meaning
to worry or be anxious
Collocations
fret about the future
|fret over details
|stop fretting
|fret too much
|constantly fretting
|fret needlessly
Synonyms
worry (More common everyday word; slightly broader and more neutral.)
|
agonize (Suggests very strong, painful worry, usually about something serious.)
|
brood (Emphasizes quietly thinking about something upsetting again and again.)
Antonyms
relax (Not feeling tense or worried about something.)
|
let go (To stop thinking and worrying about something that bothered you.)
Themes
emotions
|daily_life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To worry or be nervous about something, usually more than is helpful.
To feel or show anxious or unnecessary worry, often repeatedly thinking about a problem.
VERB
C1
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
to fret [a surface/material]
For centuries, the sea has fretted the base of the cliffs.
A tenger évszázadok óta kikezdi a sziklák alját.
Acidic rain slowly frets the stone on old buildings.
A savas eső lassan kikezdi a régi épületek kövét.
The chain had fretted a groove into the metal post.
Rust had fretted the car’s bodywork around the wheel arches.
Constant vibration fretted the cable where it passed through the metal frame.
Learner examples
The river frets the rocks over many years.
A folyó sok év alatt kikezdi a sziklákat.
Salt water frets the metal parts of the boat.
A sós víz kikezdi a csónak fémrészeit.
The rope fretted a hole in the wood.
Strong wind frets the side of the hill.
Rain frets the old wall slowly.
Common mistake:
This meaning is much less common than the ‘worry’ meaning. Learners often think it is a mistake and try to replace it with *worry*, but in scientific or literary writing it correctly means *erode* or *wear away*.
Meaning
to wear or eat away
Collocations
water frets the rock
|acid-fretted metal
|fret away the surface
|edges fretted by rust
|wind-fretted cliffs
|fret the paint
Synonyms
erode (Common technical and scientific term, especially for natural processes.)
|
corrode (Often used for chemical damage, especially by rust or acid.)
|
wear away (Very clear phrasal verb; more informal and general than *fret*.)
Antonyms
preserve (To protect something so that it does not wear away or decay.)
Themes
nature
|science
|technology
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To slowly damage or cut into something by rubbing or by a chemical action.
To gradually wear away or damage the surface of something by continuous rubbing, friction, or corrosion.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
3
bund
B2
Usage pattern:
a fret on [a guitar/banjo/etc.]
Place your index finger just behind the second fret.
Tedd a mutatóujjadat közvetlenül a második bund mögé.
The frets on this guitar are too high and need leveling.
Ennek a gitárnak túl magasak a bundjai, és szintezni kell őket.
Beginners often struggle to press the string firmly against the fret.
He showed her how to slide from one fret to the next for a smooth sound.
The luthier replaced several worn frets on the old bass.
Learner examples
Put your finger on the third fret.
Tedd az ujjadat a harmadik bundra.
This guitar has twenty-two frets.
Ezen a gitáron huszonkét bund van.
My finger hurts when I press the string on the fret.
She plays the note on the first fret of the top string.
The frets on my guitar are very shiny.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *fret* with *fretboard*. The *fretboard* is the flat surface of the neck; *frets* are the metal bars across it.
Meaning
raised bar on a guitar neck
Collocations
guitar fret
|first fret
|higher frets
|fretboard
|fret wire
|press on the fret
Synonyms
ridge (Describes the shape only; not a technical music term.)
Antonyms
fretless (Describes an instrument with no frets on the neck.)
Themes
music
|hobbies
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A thin metal bar on the neck of a guitar or similar instrument that shows where to put your fingers to play notes.
A thin, raised metal strip set across the neck of a guitar or similar stringed instrument that divides it into fixed sections for different notes.
NOUN
C1
4
idegeskedés
B1
Usage pattern:
in a (bit of a) fret about [something]
She was in a fret because her guests were ten minutes late.
Idegeskedett, mert a vendégei tíz percet késtek.
There’s no need to get into such a fret over a lost sock.
Nem kell ennyire idegeskedni egy elveszett zokni miatt.
He worked himself into a fret about the presentation.
The delay caused a bit of a fret in the office.
By morning, yesterday’s fret seemed completely silly.
Learner examples
My mom is in a fret because the house is not clean.
Anyukám idegeskedik, mert nincs rend a házban.
Don’t get in a fret about your test.
Ne idegeskedj a dolgozat miatt.
He was in a real fret when the train was late.
She is always in a fret about small things.
After a short fret, he became calm again.
Common mistake:
Learners may think *fret* as a noun is very common. In modern English, people more often say *in a panic*, *stressed*, or *in a state*, so this noun is useful to recognize but less used in everyday speech.
Meaning
state of worry or fuss
Collocations
in a fret
|in a bit of a fret
|all in a fret
|worked up into a fret
|a needless fret
|a childish fret
Synonyms
fuss (Very similar; stresses making a lot of noise or activity about something small.)
|
anxiety (More general and can describe stronger or longer-lasting worry.)
Antonyms
calm (A relaxed state without nervous or upset feelings.)
Themes
emotions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A short time when someone is worried or upset and makes a lot of fuss about it.
A state of anxious, nervous, or irritated fuss about something, usually not very serious.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
5
meanderminta
C1
Usage pattern:
a [Greek/ornamental] fret around [something]
A Greek fret runs around the top of the vase.
Egy görögkulcsminta fut végig a váza felső részén.
The designer added a simple fret along the edge of the poster.
A tervező egy egyszerű görögkulcsmintát tett a poszter szélére.
The stone floor was framed by a dark fret pattern.
The frieze is decorated with a continuous fret in gold and blue.
She sketched a narrow fret around the invitation card.
Learner examples
There is a Greek fret on the wall of the old building.
Az öreg épület falán görögkulcsminta látható.
The plate has a gold fret around the edge.
A tányér szélét arany görögkulcsminta díszíti.
He drew a simple fret at the top of the page.
The floor has a black and white fret pattern.
We saw a stone fret design in the museum.
Common mistake:
Learners may not recognize this very specific art term and may confuse it with *threat* or *frame* when reading quickly.
Meaning
repeated straight-line border pattern
Collocations
Greek fret
|ornamental fret
|border fret pattern
|classical fret design
|continuous fret
|key fret
Synonyms
meander (An art-history term for a similar continuous geometric border design.)
|
border pattern (General phrase; describes function rather than specific style.)
Antonyms
plain border (A simple border without any decorative pattern.)
Themes
art
|architecture
|design
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A border pattern made of straight lines that go and turn in a regular way, used in buildings and drawings.
A decorative design made of repeated straight lines that turn sharply at right angles, often used as a border in architecture, art, or design.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
6
lefog
B2
Usage pattern:
to fret [a note/string]
Make sure you fret the note just behind the metal bar.
Ügyelj rá, hogy a hangot közvetlenül a bund mögött fogd le.
If you don’t fret the string firmly, it will buzz.
Ha nem fogod le elég erősen a húrt, zörögni fog.
Begin slowly so you can fret each chord cleanly.
She showed him how to fret the same note on a different string.
The teacher corrected how he was fretting the high notes.
Learner examples
Press harder when you fret the string.
Nyomd erősebben, amikor lefogod a húrt.
It is hard for me to fret this chord.
Nehéz nekem ezt az akkordot lefogni.
You must fret the note close to the fret.
He learns how to fret the guitar with his left hand.
She frets each note very clearly.
Common mistake:
Learners may only know *fret* as *worry* and misunderstand sentences like “Fret the note cleanly.” In music contexts, it is a technical verb about finger placement.
Meaning
to press a string on a fret
Collocations
fret a note
|fret the string lightly
|properly fretted chords
|fret cleanly
|fret each note clearly
|learning to fret correctly
Synonyms
finger (Common musician’s term for placing the fingers in playing position; not limited to fretted instruments.)
Antonyms
play open (To play a string without pressing it down on a fret.)
Themes
music
|hobbies
|arts_entertainment
Definition
To put your finger on a guitar or similar instrument so the string touches the fingerboard behind a fret and makes a note.
To press the string of a fretted musical instrument down against the fingerboard just behind a fret in order to produce a particular note.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fret
IPA
GB/fɹˈɛt/
US/fɹˈɛt/
Syllables & stress
fret (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fret)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fret
- Plural: frets
Verb
- Base: fret
- 3rd Person Singular: frets
- Present Participle: fretting
- Past: fretted
Word family
Forms
frets
noun
fretting
verb
fretted
verb
Core family
fretful
adjective
Related words
fretfully
adverb
Advanced or less common
fretfulness
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: fretting Verb
- Irregular past: fretted Verb
Expressions
don’t fret
1/dˈoʊnt fɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
instruction not to worry
Used to tell someone to stop worrying or to say that something is not a problem.
Examples
- Don’t fret, everything will be fine.
- Don’t fret about the mess; we’ll clean it up later.
- It’s just a small delay, so don’t fret.
fret about [something]
1/fɹˈɛt əbˈaʊt sˈʌmθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
worry about something repeatedly
To keep worrying about something, often something you cannot change.
Examples
- She keeps fretting about her appearance.
- There’s no point fretting about things that are already done.
- He frets about money even when he has enough.
fret and fume
1/fɹˈɛt ˈænd fjˈum/
idiom
be upset and complain angrily
To be very angry or worried and show it by complaining, but without doing anything useful.
Examples
- He sat in traffic, fretting and fuming about being late.
- She fretted and fumed for an hour, but the situation stayed the same.
- There’s no use fretting and fuming; we need a plan.
fret and fume
1/fɹˈɛt ˈænd fjˈum/
idiom
literary
worry and get upset
To worry and feel angry or upset.
Examples
- There’s no point fretting and fuming over things you can’t change.
- He spent the whole evening fretting and fuming about the interview.
fret over [something]
1/fɹˈɛt ˈoʊvɚ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
dwell on something with worry
To spend time feeling worried and upset about something, often thinking about it too much.
Examples
- He fretted over the smallest mistakes in his report.
- Parents often fret over their children’s safety.
- Stop fretting over the past and move on.
in a fret
1/ˈɪn ə fɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
in a state of worry or fuss
Feeling worried or upset and making a bit of a fuss about it.
Examples
- She was in a fret because the package hadn’t arrived.
- Don’t get in a fret about the weather; we have umbrellas.
- He’s always in a fret before big meetings.