fray

CEFRC1

/fɹeɪ/

verb

Türkçe translations

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In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To become worn or damaged at the edges.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To force or make (a path, way, etc.) through.

Examples

  • All this bickering is starting to fray my nerves.

  • The hectic day ended in her nerves frayed.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To rub or wear away (something); to cause (something made of strands twisted or woven together, such as cloth or rope) to unravel through friction; also, to irritate (something) through chafing or rubbing; to chafe.

  2. To become unravelled or worn; to unravel.

  3. To bruise (someone or something); also, to take the virginity of (someone, usually a female person); to deflower.

More examples

In context

  • The laces frayed at the cut end.

  • Though they did not know the reason for the dispute, they did not hesitate to leap into the fray.

  • S. Paul alſo defineth the law to be the knowlege of ſyn, yͭ is, which accuſeth, frayeth the cõſcience, & maketh ſynnes knowen.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

After years of use, the carpet's edges began to blank and look worn.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

The verb is derived from Late Middle English fraien (“to beat so as to cause bruising, to bruise; to crush; to rub; to wear, wear off”), borrowed from Old French fraier, freier, freiier (modern French frayer (“to clear, open up (a path, etc.); (figuratively) to find one’s way through (something); (obsolete) to rub”)), from Latin fricāre, the present active infinitive of fricō (“to chafe; to rub”), an intensive form of friō (“to break into pieces, crumble; to rub”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreyH- (“to cut”). Sense 1.2 (“to force or make (a path, way, etc.) through”) is derived from modern French frayer: see above. The noun is derived from the verb.