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fray
1[ frey ]
noun
- a fight, battle, or skirmish.
Synonyms: war, strife, encounter, clash, contest, conflict, combat
- a competition or contest, especially in sports.
Synonyms: tourney, meet, tournament, match
- a noisy quarrel or brawl.
Synonyms: melee, tussle, fracas, riot, squabble, spat, set-to, tiff, dispute, fight, altercation
- Archaic. fright.
verb (used with object)
- Archaic. to frighten.
verb (used without object)
- Archaic. to fight or brawl.
fray
2[ frey ]
verb (used with object)
- to wear (cloth, rope, etc.) to loose, raveled threads or fibers at the edge or end; cause to ravel out:
Our old washing machine frayed all of our towels.
- to wear by rubbing (sometimes followed by through ).
- to cause strain on (something); upset; discompose:
All that arguing is fraying my nerves.
- to rub.
verb (used without object)
- to wear into loose, raveled threads or fibers, as cloth; ravel out:
My sweater frayed at the elbows.
- to become strained or stressed:
Jealousy could be a sign that your relationship is fraying.
- to rub against something:
tall grass fraying against my knees.
noun
- a raveled or worn part, as in cloth:
frays at the toes of well-worn sneakers.
fray
2/ freɪ /
verb
- to wear or cause to wear away into tatters or loose threads, esp at an edge or end
- to make or become strained or irritated
- to rub or chafe (another object) or (of two objects) to rub against one another
noun
- a frayed place, as in cloth
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Other Words From
- frayed adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of fray1
Origin of fray2
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Idioms and Phrases
see enter the lists (fray) .Discover More
Example Sentences
Abramson, biting her tongue, was widely portrayed in rival outlets as classily above the fray.
Many more German divisions would enter the fray over the next few days.
It is not at all hard to anticipate additional forces—Turkmens and others—joining the fray in the future.
As is often the case when the letter and the spirit of the law begin to fray, legal creativity gets called upon to mend them.
As soon as the government announced the sad story, for example, conspiracy theorists jumped into the fray.
Dost turn awayThy eyes, in horror, from the doubtful fray?Ye gods, ye gods.
Lechmere looks anxious for the fray, and I should say from the expression on his face that he has a knife up his sleeve.
After the examination, Wallace observed that the girls had taken advantage of the fray to make their escape.
One room would challenge another, and stripping the covers off their bolsters, would meet in mortal fray.
Fray Antonio, aroused by the approach of danger, quickly seized his rifle, and also got behind the tree.
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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.
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