frayed
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.
the simple past tense and past participle of fray2.
Origin of frayed
1Words Nearby frayed
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use frayed in a sentence
Under the table, I could see that his combat boots were actually black sneakers, frayed at the seams.
Local Truces Are Syria’s Sad Little Pieces of Peace | Joshua Hersh | November 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe remaining 10 or so libraries hold frayed remains of ancient books on Quranic studies, science, and law.
Time will tell if the friendships frayed by this conflict will ever be repaired.
Instead, we have watched the bonds that hold Americans together become more frayed.
An Open Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder: It’s Not About Race | Ron Christie | July 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn this aqua blanket with its frayed edges I smelled home: warm laundry, bacon frying, coffee and cigarettes.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’ | Eileen Cronin | April 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Nevertheless, he was girt with a sword in a ragged scabbard hanging from a frayed and shabby belt of leather.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael SabatiniLet alone its being months behind the fashion, it was frayed around the bottom and the front breadth was sorely stained.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. MorrisonAnd MacRae's patience snapped like a frayed thread before many minutes of futile query.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairOn the tenth floor, he moved quickly down the frayed carpet of a corridor and found the service stairs.
He raised his frayed cap politely and asked whether she were Mademoiselle Orlebar.
The Doctor of Pimlico | William Le Queux
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