## Etymology
From Old English fretan ('to devour, eat up'), from Proto-Germanic *fra- ('completely') + *etanÄ… ('to eat'); the sense 'worry' developed from 'to gnaw, eat away at'.

## AI Etymology
Fret comes from Old English fretan ('to devour, eat up'), from Proto-Germanic *fra- ('completely') + *etanÄ… ('to eat'); the sense 'worry' developed from 'to gnaw, eat away at'. The historical trail runs through Old English fretan and Proto-Germanic *etanÄ…. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. The later sense follows a semantic development already present in the word's history. In modern use it means to worry or feel anxious in a persistent, nagging way. Derived formations include fretful, fretting, fretter.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings

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