frayed

[ freyd ]

adjective

1. worn to loose, raveled threads or fibers at the outer surface, edge, or end:

   I wouldn’t trust that frayed rope to hold anybody’s weight.

   She hid her hands in the frayed sleeves of her bathrobe.

2. strained, taxed, or weakened by constant stress; frazzled:

   We're going to have a lot of frayed relationships coming out of this crisis.

   Candlelight and soft music can soothe frayed nerves after a rough day.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of fray ².

Word History and Origins

Origin of frayed¹

First recorded in 1810–20; fray ² + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; fray ² + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Despite that, this is a growing scandal that has further damaged the already frayed relationship between the government and the hostage families.

From BBC

So do savage Republican cuts in programs for minimal health care, nutrition and other vital aspects of a frayed social safety net.

From Salon

The problem with this very beef was the way that things trickled online, where miscommunication became even more frayed with subtweets and shade.

From Slate

The frayed performances push past the film’s surreal-sounding logline and, by the time credits roll, they burrow themselves deep within the hearts of the audience.

From Los Angeles Times

The Washington Post reported on the state of the Trump campaign as we head into the final stretch and it's looking pretty frayed around the edges.

From Salon

Related Words

• crummy
• decaying
• decrepit
• desolate
• dilapidated
• dingy
• pitiful
• ramshackle
• ratty
• rickety
• run down
• scruffy
• seedy
• shoddy
• squalid
• tacky
• tattered
• threadbare
• worn