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Showing results for frayed. Search instead for drayed.
Synonyms

frayed

American  
[freyd] / freɪd /

adjective

  1. 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.

  2. 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

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of fray.

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

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 now transpires that, prior to the king's informal comments, Sheinbaum had offered to rekindle the ties between Mexico and Spain that had become frayed by the issue.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Hopefully, FedEx’s report can help calm investors’ frayed nerves.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

On the first day of the war, the psychologist at her daughter’s school reached out with advice on how to calm children’s frayed nerves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

The week immediately before the attacks, as diplomacy frayed, Iranian exports were back at their normal levels.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026

The fallen logs with frayed strips of bark.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Definitions 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.