Entry Word: threadbare

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect <bought a threadbare couch at a garage sale> — see shabby 1
2 used or heard so often as to be dull <a novel filled with nothing but threadbare clichés> — see stale
3 worn or torn into or as if into rags <I loved that threadbare shirt, but after 10 years of wear, it was time to throw it away> — see ragged 2