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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
To say my hair looked frayed and hay-like would be an insult to hay. — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 July 2026 Jean shorts had a yellowish antique tint and were chopped and frayed. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 9 July 2026
Verb
Other types of natural disasters could impact Florida’s elections as well, all while the forecasting capacity of the National Weather Service has frayed under federal staffing cuts. — Jonathan Webber, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 Yet China is not rushing to re-create the international order that has recently frayed. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 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
  • On a recent afternoon, the lanky, mustachioed Zucker, wearing a T-shirt, ballcap and small hoop earrings, bears little resemblance to his comic alter ego who sports a tattered suit with gag props stuffed in every pocket.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • For weeks, migrants in the Spanish territory of Ceuta had gathered on a beach away from the city center, sleeping on cardboard sheets, under reed huts and guarding their few possessions in tattered plastic bags.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of tattered
Verb
  • The new king must steady royal fortunes amid damaging scrutiny of Queen Mette-Marit’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein and stepson Marius Høiby’s rape conviction, which has eroded public support for the monarchy.
    — Jan M. Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • If investors intended to have a 10% to 20% allocation to international as part of their strategic long-term planning, that could have eroded to as little as 2% to 5% given the extent of the bull market in the S&P 500 in recent years.
    — Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of eroded
Adjective
  • James roves among the attackers’ perspectives before and during the event, his experimental style, psychological acuity, and ragged lyricism on display.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Bristol Type 6, marked by ragged, jagged or fluffy edges, indicates stool moved through the colon too fast for water absorption.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ragged
Verb
  • For a dressier option, the Franco Sarto Loran Slides are heralded by a Travel+Leisure writer who recently wore them all over Europe with zero foot pain.
    — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026
  • George, 65, wore a classic black tuxedo with a matching bow tie.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of wore
Adjective
  • The team behind this research studied 14 candidates for faded or remnant radio galaxies found in a region of the sky over Earth, studied intensely by the XMM-Newton X-ray spacecraft, called the XMM–Newton Large-Scale Structure (XMM–LSS) field.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • How to Deadhead Coneflowers Deadheading coneflowers is as simple as removing the faded flower heads.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of faded

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Cite this Entry

“Frayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frayed. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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