Fret

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Fret

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

verb and noun

Pronunciation

fret  /frɛt/

Definition

As a verb: to worry or be anxious; to cause erosion by wearing away. As a noun: a state of anxiety or worry; one of the ridges on the fingerboard of a guitar or similar stringed instrument; an ornamental border with a repeating geometric pattern.

Plain meaning

To fret is to worry — stop fretting, everything will be fine. As a noun, the frets on a guitar are the metal strips across the neck that determine pitch.

Register

The worry sense is neutral to informal — gentle in tone, slightly old-fashioned. The guitar sense is technical. The decorative sense is architectural and design-specific.