FRAYED Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

frayed 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrād

Definition of frayed

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

Jean shorts had a yellowish antique tint and were chopped and frayed. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 9 July 2026 Vacuum the rug, being careful to avoid edges and frayed areas. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 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

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

Phillips-Fein recently talked to CNN about how those ideals have eroded in recent years and why some working- class and poor people embrace the belief that extreme inequality is good for America.

— John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
According to the study, the resulting uplift would have created steep terrain and high ground that could be intensely eroded over long periods.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of eroded

Adjective

Cutting back is done in mid-summer when foliage looks ragged and blooming slows to increase plant vigor, control height, and encourage a second flush of blooms.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 Aug. 2026
Typically depicted with exaggerated features and ragged clothing – or no clothing at all – these children were often shown being chased by alligators or other wild animals.

— The Conversation, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of ragged

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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“Frayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frayed. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of frayed

adjective

verb

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