frayed 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrād How to pronounce frayed (audio)
Definition of frayednext
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags she wore a beloved but badly frayed flannel shirt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frayed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of fray
as in eroded
to damage or diminish by continued friction constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of frayed
Adjective
In Maren Hassinger’s hands, bits of frayed industrial wire pinned to a wall come to resemble dandelion bristles carried away by the breeze. — Carolina A. Miranda, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026 By the time Frey and Felder nearly came to blows backstage in the summer of 1980, however, those threads were too frayed to hold. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
As the latest iteration of her signature red tresses, these braids are just like the songs on her latest studio album, Blue Island—frayed, perfectly tousled, and free-flowing. — Sidney Madden, VIBE.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Reconstituting the bilateral bond between the two countries, now frayed by more than a year of threats and punitive measures, will not happen overnight. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frayed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frayed
  1. tattered
  2. eroded
  3. ragged
  4. wore
  5. faded
Adjective
  • In her translation, where papyri were tattered or a word obscured, Carson indicates this by using brackets and white space.
    — Amy Cannon, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • For Brashares, letting go of her kids’ and husband’s old clothes always felt a little like throwing away more than tattered items.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of tattered
Verb
  • The deck replacement is necessary because traffic loads on the span have become increasingly heavy, and salt air has eroded bridge materials.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Ongoing inflation has eroded Americans' incomes and soured most consumers on the economy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of eroded
Adjective
  • Part of its purpose, from the beginning, was not only to deliver new facts but to interpret ragged events for a nervous audience of relatively prosperous, largely white viewers who shared Wallace’s concern about the shape and tenor of the future.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Our family teetered on the cusp of something ragged and broken.
    — Raj Panjabi, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of ragged
Verb
  • Postwar Hiroshima was a popular setting for these movie gangsters, who fought dirty, had no use for the old ceremonies, and wore flashy suits and aviator shades.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Just this week, Alexander Skarsgård wore one of his dreamy new gold suits straight off the runway.
    — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of wore
Adjective
  • At the denouement, Kember is completely alone, his flat, narcotized baritone dripping onto the faded guitar notes like melted mercury.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Fly Faster Tee uses heavyweight cotton jersey with a faded finish, while the Patch Tee receives a heavy enzyme wash.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of faded

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fray
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fraying
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Cite this Entry

“Frayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frayed. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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