frayed

[freyd]

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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

1. the simple past tense and past participle of fray.

Word History and Origins

Origin of frayed¹

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

The city that Tom Bradley has led with impassive aplomb for 17 years is frayed at the edges, with aging sewers and inadequate housing stock.

From Los Angeles Times

The show’s promos have playfully frayed fan nerves by teasing, “Anything could happen.”

From Los Angeles Times

The world number one began the final day four shots behind but was in front by the seventh hole and finished two clear, chipping in at the 17th during a rollercoaster climax of frayed nerves.

From BBC

Social tension and conflict escalation: Rapid shifts from disputes to shootings reveal a frayed social fabric, where violence becomes a frequent and often fatal response.

From Salon

In an epic conclusion, the hosts had victory in their grasp until nerves were frayed by outstanding defiance from Ravindra Jadeja.

From BBC

Related Words

• crummy 
• decaying www.thesaurus.com
• decrepit 
• desolate 
• dilapidated 
• dingy 
• pitiful 
• ramshackle 
• ratty 
• rickety 
• run down 
• scruffy 
• seedy 
• shoddy 
• squalid 
• tacky 
• tattered 
• threadbare 
• worn