fray

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈfrā 

: a usually disorderly or protracted fight, struggle, or dispute

Fighting there could easily draw neighboring nations into the fray.

—Blaine Harden

… the patrician statesman who stood above the fray.

—Richard D. Hylton

fray

2 of 4

verb (1)

frayed; fraying; frays

transitive verb

1

a

: to wear (something, such as an edge of cloth) by or as if by rubbing : fret

b

: to separate the threads at the edge of

2

: strain, irritate

… a botched new bus system … which has frayed tempers.

—The Economist

intransitive verb

1

: to wear out or into shreds

2

: to show signs of strain

fraying nerves

fray

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a raveled place or worn spot (as on fabric)

fray

4 of 4

verb (2)

frayed; fraying; frays

transitive verb

archaic

: scare

also : to frighten away

Synonyms of fray

Noun (1)

• battle
• struggle
• fight
• effort

Verb (1)

• erode
• wear

Examples of fray in a Sentence

Noun (1)

another generation of scientists entered the fray to find a cure for AIDS

a troubled youth always getting into frays at school

school officials broke up the fray and gave all guilty parties detention

Verb (1)

constant rubbing against the rock face has badly frayed our climbing rope

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Again, a Garland-for-Harden swap wouldn’t affect Cleveland’s ability to jump into the Giannis fray in June and might actually improve it depending on the resolution of Harden’s player option. —John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026

Market uncertainty, however, hasn’t stopped new distributors from entering the fray. —Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026

Verb

Right now, too many of those threads are fraying. —Cat Ward, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

The documents that Dooley was now handling were barely yellowed, their edges lightly frayed, the oak gall ink ranging from brown to black. —Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English fraien, from Anglo-French freier, froier to rub, from Latin fricare — more at friction

Verb (2) and Noun (1)

Middle English fraien, short for affraien to affray

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1630, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fray

• above the fray
• tempers begin to fray

Rhymes for fray

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• frey

Kids Definition

fray

1 of 2 noun

ˈfrā 

: an usually disorderly or long fight, struggle, or dispute

fray

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to wear (as an edge of cloth) by or as if by rubbing

b

: to separate the threads at the edge of

cutoff jeans with frayed edges

2

: to show or cause to show signs of strain

nerves were beginning to fray

Etymology

Noun

from earlier fray "fright," from affray "quarrel, fight," derived from early French affreer "to attack, disturb, frighten" — related to afraid

Verb

Middle English fraien "to fray," from early French freier, froier "to rub," from Latin fricare "to rub" — related to friction