Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

fret


Listen Later

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 2, 2024 is:

fret • \FRET\  • verb

To fret is to worry or be concerned.

// I was sure we wouldn’t get there in time, but they told me not to fret.

See the entry >

Examples:

“Many communal laundry spaces have rules posted, but over time, they can get lost, forgotten or ignored. If you find yourself in uncertain waters about how to be a good neighbor, don’t fret. We asked laundry and etiquette experts for their best tips on how to handle some of the most common faux pas.” — Sophia Solano, The Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2024

Did you know?

Fret not about being unfamiliar with the history of the verb fret; we’ve got something for you to chew on. While fretting today usually involves a concern that is figuratively eating at someone, fret has older senses that apply to literal eating. 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 said to fret, as were substances that corrode, or eat away, at other substances. But it wasn’t long before fret was also applied to emotional experiences, as when someone frets over an all-consuming thought or trouble. While fret still carries the meanings of “to corrode,” “to fray,” and “to chafe,” among others, one is most likely to encounter its more angsty sense of “to worry or be concerned.”



...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Merriam-Webster's Word of the DayBy Merriam-Webster

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,252 ratings


More shows like Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

View all
Modern Love by The New York Times

Modern Love

8,894 Listeners

TED Talks Daily by TED

TED Talks Daily

11,159 Listeners

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by QuickAndDirtyTips.com

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

2,842 Listeners

60 Minutes by CBS News

60 Minutes

2,698 Listeners

IELTS Energy English 7+ by Lindsay McMahon, Jessica Beck, Aubrey Carter

IELTS Energy English 7+

410 Listeners

Science Quickly by Scientific American

Science Quickly

1,394 Listeners

Let's Master English! An English podcast for English learners by Coach Shane

Let's Master English! An English podcast for English learners

214 Listeners

All Ears English Podcast by Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan

All Ears English Podcast

2,255 Listeners

Daily Easy English Expression Podcast by Coach Shane

Daily Easy English Expression Podcast

833 Listeners

Real English Conversations Podcast – Real English for Global Professionals | Speak Clearly & Confidently at Work by Real English Conversations: With Curtis Davies - English Podcast

Real English Conversations Podcast – Real English for Global Professionals | Speak Clearly & Confidently at Work

398 Listeners

Something You Should Know by Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media

Something You Should Know

4,211 Listeners

Life Kit by NPR

Life Kit

4,843 Listeners

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques by Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

832 Listeners

No Stupid Questions by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

No Stupid Questions

3,646 Listeners

Business English from All Ears English by Lindsay McMahon

Business English from All Ears English

83 Listeners