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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.

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

From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026

Our nerves are frayed, leaving little patience for nuance.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

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 • Feb. 26, 2026

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

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

Tatterfell sews on cunning cuffs made from the scales of pinecones around the edges of frayed sleeves.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

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.