fray

¹

[frey]

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.

verb (used with object)

1. Archaic.,  to frighten.

verb (used without object)

1. Archaic.,  to fight or brawl.

fray

²

[frey]

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.

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

/ freɪ /

noun

1. a noisy quarrel

2. a fight or brawl

3. an archaic word for fright

verb

1. (tr) to frighten

fray

²

/ 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

noun

1. a frayed place, as in cloth

Other Word Forms

• frayed adjective

Word History and Origins

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; friction

Word History and Origins

Origin of fray¹

C14: short for _affray

Origin of fray²

C14: from French frayer to rub, from Latin fricāre ; see _friction , _friable

Idioms and Phrases

see enter the lists (fray).

Example Sentences

Soon the fraying American regiments were being hounded south by west through New Jersey, and by Christmas Day King George’s troops had driven them across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

New threats, such as extreme weather, tariffs, economic warfare, disruptive technological leaps, and the fraying of the postwar order, can defeat traditional forecasting models trained on historical data.

Read more on Barron's

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.

Read more on Barron's

Florida Republicans are planning to join the fray as well, though their effort could be complicated by a voter-passed fair districts amendment.

Read more on Salon

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.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• erode 
• frazzle 
• unravel 
• wear away www.thesaurus.com