fray

¹ American  

[frey] / 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.

---

verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to frighten.

verb (used without object)

1. Archaic. to fight or brawl.

fray ² American  

[frey] / 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.

---

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

---

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

---

noun

1. a frayed place, as in cloth

fray Idioms  

1. see enter the lists (fray).

---

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; friction

Example Sentences

Back in the Red Sea at the end of April, the Navy was growing increasingly frayed by the need to constantly fight off the Houthi drones and missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

He wrote on Feb. 19 that the company “remains above the AI disruption fray.”

From Barron's

He wrote on Feb. 19 that the company “remains above the AI disruption fray.”

From Barron's

The festival has had the air of an arthouse bubble when it comes to the topic of AI and the event's leadership is keeping above the fray.

From Barron's

Low blows from Wolves, but blows that may have landed on already frayed nerves.

From BBC

Related Words

• erode
• frazzle
• unravel
• wear away