Synonyms

frayed

American

[freyd] / freɪd /

adjective

worn to loose, raveled threads or fibers at the outer surface, edge, or end.

I wouldn’t trust that frayed rope to hold anybody’s weight.
She hid her hands in the frayed sleeves of her bathrobe.
strained, taxed, or weakened by constant stress; frazzled.

We're going to have a lot of frayed relationships coming out of this crisis.
Candlelight and soft music can soothe frayed nerves after a rough day.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of fray.

Etymology

Origin of frayed

First recorded in 1810–20; fray ² + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; fray ² + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

India's support for Hasina has frayed relations between the two neighbours since her overthrow.

From Barron's

Wallen’s music is commercial and polished; Bryan’s is stripped down and frayed.

From The Wall Street Journal

The skinny look to the scoreboard - a 27-23 victory - matched with frayed nerves and chewed fingernails.

From BBC

Germany and China have long had deep economic ties, but those have frayed in recent times over issues ranging from claims of unfair trade practices to protectionism.

From Barron's

Lips chapped and tempers frayed, and the ceaseless ringing and jingling of the troika bells grew so wearisome, it was like something out of Poe.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023