verb · transitive · rare

fray

fray · frays · frayed · fraying

торочитися, обтріпуватися, пошарпатися

распускаться, расплетаться, вытираться, изнашиваться

ausfransen, zermürben, aufreiben

To rub or wear away; to cause to unravel through friction; also, to irritate through…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.

ⓘ

/fɹeɪ/

» My nerves are frayed.

Meaning

15 senses

(also, figuratively, transitive)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.
ausfransen
расплета́тьсяraspletátʹsja, распуска́тьсяraspuskátʹsja
торочитисяtoročytysja, обтріпуватисяobtripuvatysja, пошарпатисяpošarpatysja
wear away by rubbing
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.
(also, figuratively, specifically, transitive)Of a deer: to rub (its antlers or head) against a tree, etc., to remove the velvet from antlers or to mark territory; also, to rub its antlers against (a tree, etc.) for that purpose.
(transitive)To force or make (a path, way, etc.) through.
(intransitive)To become unravelled or worn; to unravel.
(intransitive)To rub.
To rub.
(intransitive, specifically)Of a deer: to rub its antlers against a tree, etc., to remove the velvet or to mark territory.
(figuratively, intransitive)Of a person's mental strength, nerves, temper, etc.: to become exhausted or worn out.
The hectic day ended in her nerves frayed.
aufreiben, zermürben
изна́шиватьсяiznášivatʹsja, обтрёпыватьсяobtrjópyvatʹsja, вытира́тьсяvytirátʹsja
(obsolete, transitive)To bruise (someone or something); also, to take the virginity of (someone, usually a female person); to deflower.
(archaic, obsolete, transitive)To alarm or frighten (someone or something).
(archaic, obsolete, transitive)Often followed by away, off, or out: to frighten or scare (someone or something) away.
(archaic, broadly, obsolete, transitive)To assail or attack (someone or something); to drive (someone or something) away by attacking.
(archaic, broadly, obsolete, transitive)To chase (someone or something) away; to disperse.

Examples

17 sentences

My nerves are frayed.
CC BY · Tatoeba · CK · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Detective Columbo is always in a frayed raincoat.
Детектив Коломбо завжди одягнутий в потертий плащ.
ruДетектив Коломбо всегда одет в поношенный плащ.
deDetektiv Columbo trägt stets einen abgenutzen Regenmantel.
CC BY · Tatoeba · CN · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Bugger, the lining in my coat is fraying.
deMist, das Futter von meinem Mantel löst sich.
CC BY · Tatoeba · sundown · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
All this bickering is starting to fray my nerves.
ruВесь этот спор начинает действовать мне на нервы.
CC BY · Tatoeba · darinmex · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
The cuffs of his suit jacket are badly frayed.
ruМанжеты его пиджака сильно протёрлись.
CC BY · Tatoeba · darinmex · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem

Translations

7 languages

Українська

By meaning 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:

Русский

By meaning 2

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:

of a person’s mental strength, etc.: to become exhausted or worn out:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

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:

of a person’s mental strength, etc.: to become exhausted or worn out:

Origin

The verb is derived from Late Middle English fraien (“to beat so as to cause bruising, to

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.

From Late Middle English fraien (“to attack, invade; to make an attack; to brawl, fight; to make a loud noise (?); to frighten, terrify; to be frightened of (something), fear”), an aphetic variant of affraien (“to attack, invade; to harass; to brawl, fight; to riot; to reproach; to frighten, terrify; to be frightened of (something), fear; to alarm, disturb; to arouse, awaken, excite”) (whence affray), from Anglo-Norman affraier, afrayer (“to frighten, terrify; to disquiet; to disturb”) [and other forms], a variant of effreier, esfreier [and other forms], and Old French effreer, esfreer (“to frighten, scare; to be afraid”) [and other forms] (modern French effrayer), from Vulgar Latin *exfridāre, from Latin ex- (prefix indicating privation) + Frankish *friþu (“peace”) (from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace, tranquility; refuge, sanctuary”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preyH- (“to love; to please”)).

An aphetic variant of defray.

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