as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
she wore a beloved but badly frayed flannel shirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Amy Virshup, Vulture, 14 May 2025
After years of hostile and frayed relations, Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reestablish diplomatic ties and reopen mutual embassies – a deal reportedly brokered by China that has raised eyebrows across the globe.
—Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Photo: New York Magazine Bartsch leads the pack, dancing on a speaker (her favorite spot), wearing cutoff shorts, white leggings, red suspenders, and a frayed and cropped jean jacket with holes in the shoulders.
—Amy Virshup, Vulture, 14 May 2025
After years of hostile and frayed relations, Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reestablish diplomatic ties and reopen mutual embassies – a deal reportedly brokered by China that has raised eyebrows across the globe.
—Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frayed
Adjective
-
Set in the year 3333 on a desolate alien world, players take on the role of the Swordsman, a somewhat blank slate character with minimalist features clad in a tattered cloak.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
-
And then, in close-up, a bulldozer turns over rubble, and a family photograph is glimpsed in the debris, a tattered symbol of what has been lost.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
25 May 2025
Verb
-
But yet over the course of the 20th century, that land base eroded and in some instances slowly, but then in other instances rapidly.—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Ruins eroded into the Thames, and cargo carted from ship to shore fell overboard.—
Sean Kingsley,
Smithsonian Magazine,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
An unkempt lawn with ragged edges signals a lack of care to all who pass it by.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 June 2025
-
In the clip, the small dog scuttles into the room clutching his ragged bear, which has a hole that has caused its stuffing to spill out.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Staining not only revives faded wood but also helps protect it from sun, moisture and insects.—
Angie Hicks,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
-
Select a faded flower and follow the stem down, cutting it 12 inches or more below the bloom, deep into the plant to encourage more long stems.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frayed. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share