threadbare

1 of 2

adjective

thread·​bare ˈthred-ˌber 

1

a

: having the nap worn off so that the thread shows : shabby

threadbare clothes

b

: wearing threadbare clothing : very poor

… took in threadbare relatives.

—Russell Baker

c

: barely adequate because of cheapness or shabbiness

a threadbare production

2

: exhausted of interest or freshness

threadbareness noun

threadbareness

2 of 2

noun

thread·​bare·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being threadbare

Synonyms of threadbare

Adjective

• dilapidated
• neglected

Choose the Right Synonym for threadbare

trite, hackneyed, stereotyped, threadbare mean lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest.

trite applies to a once effective phrase or idea spoiled from long familiarity.

"you win some, you lose some" is a trite expression

hackneyed stresses being worn out by overuse so as to become dull and meaningless.

all of the metaphors and images in the poem are hackneyed

stereotyped implies falling invariably into the same pattern or form.

views of minorities that are stereotyped and out-of-date

threadbare applies to what has been used until its possibilities of interest have been totally exhausted.

a mystery novel with a threadbare plot

Examples of threadbare in a Sentence

Adjective

bought a threadbare couch at a garage sale

a novel filled with nothing but threadbare clichés

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Merchants in fine suits rode in carriages or on sedan chairs while enslaved people lugging carts and crates wore dirty, threadbare clothing and could be publicly whipped or burned to death for misbehavior. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 9 June 2026

Democrats look to capitalize That could be a problem for Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who are already governing with threadbare majorities. —Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026

That could be a problem for Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who are already governing with threadbare majorities. —Steven Sloan, Fortune, 20 May 2026

For the past 10 months, since a frustrated Colbert announced the cancellation of the three-decade-old talk show in July 2025, the countdown to his farewell has been looming over Colbert and the whole of the late-night genre like a guillotine with a threadbare rope. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for threadbare

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

threadbare

adjective

thread·​bare ˈthred-ˌba(ə)r 

-ˌbe(ə)r

1

: worn so much that the thread shows : shabby

threadbare clothes

2

: barely adequate

a threadbare store with few items

a threadbare event lacking excitement

3

: having lost freshness and interest from overuse

threadbare jokes