fray

¹ American  

[fray] / freɪ /

noun

1. a fight, battle, or skirmish.

   Synonyms:

   war, strife, encounter, clash, contest, conflict, combat

2. a competition or contest, especially in sports.

   Synonyms:

   tourney, meet, match, tournament

3. a noisy quarrel or brawl.

   Synonyms:

   fracas, riot, squabble, spat, set-to, tiff, dispute, fight, altercation, melee, tussle

4. Archaic. fright.

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verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to frighten.

verb (used without object)

1. Archaic. to fight or brawl.

fray ² American  

[fray] / freɪ /

verb (used with object)

1. to wear (cloth, rope, etc.) to loose, raveled threads or fibers at the edge or end; cause to ravel out.

   Our old washing machine frayed all of our towels.

   Synonyms:

   wear out, tatter, ravel

2. to wear by rubbing (sometimes followed bythrough ).

3. to cause strain on (something); upset; discompose.

   All that arguing is fraying my nerves.

   Synonyms:

   chafe, stress, irritate

4. to rub.

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verb (used without object)

1. to wear into loose, raveled threads or fibers, as cloth; ravel out.

   My sweater frayed at the elbows.

2. to become strained or stressed.

   Jealousy could be a sign that your relationship is fraying.

3. to rub against something.

   tall grass fraying against my knees.

noun

1. a raveled or worn part, as in cloth.

   frays at the toes of well-worn sneakers.

fray ¹ British  

/ freɪ /

noun

1. a noisy quarrel

2. a fight or brawl

3. an archaic word for fright

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verb

1. (tr) to frighten

fray ² British  

/ freɪ /

verb

1. to wear or cause to wear away into tatters or loose threads, esp at an edge or end

2. to make or become strained or irritated

3. to rub or chafe (another object) or (of two objects) to rub against one another

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noun

1. a frayed place, as in cloth

fray Idioms  

1. see enter the lists (fray).

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Other Word Forms

• frayed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fray¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English frai; shortening of affray

Origin of fray²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English fraien, from Old French frayer, freiier “to rub,” from Latin fricāre; see friction

Explanation

The word fray is all about friction. A frayed rope has been rubbed so much its fibers are wearing away. People experiencing friction are involved in a fray, or a noisy fight. If you have had a long day and feel like you're about to break down, you might say you are frayed. If students are arguing in class about whether nature or nurture is to blame for human problems, a teacher might stay out of the fray, letting the students reach their own conclusions.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fray

The company is making those moves as its snacks business faces steeper competition, as smaller brands enter the fray and retailers lure increasingly price-conscious consumers with their cheaper store brands.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

Unions and construction trade groups are now entering the fray from the other side, warning that such actions endanger thousands of building-related jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Brussels has stayed out of the fray ahead of the referendum, but has sent positive signals, even on the sensitive fisheries issue.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Mourinho backed it up in his second season before relationships began to fray and the most successful boss in the club's history left in September 2007.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

She wanted to grab those threads of fear over the army, fray them away.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• erode
• frazzle
• unravel
• wear away