frayed
Americanadjective
-
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
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.
It now transpires that, prior to the king's informal comments, Sheinbaum had offered to rekindle the ties between Mexico and Spain that had become frayed by the issue.
From BBC
Amid the unease, Indian IT giants have sought to calm frayed nerves, saying the fears are overblown.
From BBC
On the first day of the war, the psychologist at her daughter’s school reached out with advice on how to calm children’s frayed nerves.
The week immediately before the attacks, as diplomacy frayed, Iranian exports were back at their normal levels.
From MarketWatch
The Neelys’ dog stood there, the rope still around her neck, the frayed end trailing on the ground.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
