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

This was Hemingway’s favorite perch for the running of the bulls, above the fray.

Read more on Salon

Hulkenberg succeeded in guiding his damaged car back to the pits for repairs – a new front and rear wing - and was permitted to rejoin the fray once the barriers were repaired.

Read more on Barron's

A decade after the Paris climate accord was signed, political support for it is fraying across the West.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

From time to time, she sent a fish into the fray with messages for the ocean warriors.

Read more on Literature

Many companies have entered the fray as shovel sellers in the AI gold rush, seeing an opportunity to gather data for what is being called physical AI.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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