frayed

Everyday

1. Frayed cloth or rope has loose threads at the edge because it is old or worn. tree →
2. Frayed nerves or tempers are worn out, so people get upset easily. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life jeans, shoelaces, ropes and old cables become frayed. In safety lessons, a frayed electric cable is dangerous — it can give a shock or start a fire — so tell an adult and stop using it; a frayed climbing rope must be replaced. In stories «tempers frayed» means people became cross and impatient. Phrases: «frayed edges», «frayed rope», «frayed nerves», «tempers frayed».

Examples

• My jeans are frayed at the bottom. tree →
• Don't use that frayed cable — it's dangerous. tree →
• The old rope was badly frayed. tree →
• Her shoelace was frayed and finally snapped. tree →
• After hours of waiting, tempers frayed. tree →
• The flag had frayed in the wind. tree →
• The blanket's edges were frayed. tree →
• Frayed wires can start a fire. tree →
• The shirt-collar was rather frayed out at the edge, so the scissors came to cut off the threads. tree →

Note

Base verb «fray» (frayed, fraying). Trap: «frayed» sounds like «afraid» without the a, but means worn, not scared. A «fray» (noun) can also mean a fight: «join the fray».