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
Explanation
When something is threadbare or worn, you can describe it as frayed. Your hand-knit mittens will probably become frayed around the cuffs after many winters. If your favorite pair of jeans is frayed, it may be because you've worn them for years — or they could be deliberately, stylishly frayed from the minute you buy them. Things that are frayed are worn, even unraveling a bit. The earliest meaning, in fact, was "worn by rubbing," from the Middle French frayer, "rub against," by way of the Old French froiier, "rub or scrape," and the Latin root fricare, "to rub."
Vocabulary lists containing frayed
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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The Cay
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Free Lunch
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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’s difficult to shake the feeling that something has frayed in our public interactions since the pandemic.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
But Ellison will have considerable work ahead to repair frayed relations with Hollywood talent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
At an election rally in the town of Querfurt, 70-year-old Gerd has tacked a small, frayed German flag to the handles of his mobility scooter.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
That has frayed nerves more than once in the area.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Father is walking around in frayed trousers, and his tie is also showing signs of wear and tear.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
