threadbare
Americanadjective
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having the nap worn off so as to lay bare the threads of the warp and woof, as a fabric, garment, etc.
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wearing threadbare clothes; shabby or poor.
a threadbare old man.
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meager, scanty, or poor.
a threadbare emotional life.
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hackneyed; trite; ineffectively stale.
threadbare arguments.
adjective
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(of cloth, clothing, etc) having the nap worn off so that the threads are exposed
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meagre or poor
a threadbare existence
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hackneyed
a threadbare argument
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wearing threadbare clothes; shabby
Other Word Forms
- threadbareness noun
Etymology
Origin of threadbare
First recorded in 1325–75, threadbare is from the Middle English word thredbare. See thread, bare 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The transfer will be a huge boost to Glasner, who said his threadbare side were in "survival mode" following Thursday's 1-1 draw with Fulham.
From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026
The case against her was threadbare, a product of postwar rancor, false testimony and manipulative journalists who had preyed on her naivete.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025
Bringing your whole self to work can leave you threadbare, writes Amanda Goetz.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025
Wednesday are second bottom of the Championship with six points from nine games after a torrid period off the field has left them with a threadbare squad.
From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025
She knew it was him by the sheepskin slippers, by the shape of his trousers, by the oversize threadbare sweater.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
