threadbare

[thred-bair] / ˈθrɛdˌbɛər /

ADJECTIVE

worn, frayed

Synonyms

STRONGEST

faded ratty scruffy shabby shopworn tacky tattered

WEAK

beat up damaged dilapidated dingy dog-eared down-at-the-heel frowzy impaired injured old ragged run down seedy timeworn used used-up worn-out worse for wear

Antonyms

WEAK

fresh new unused unworn

ADJECTIVE

trite, corny

Synonyms

STRONGEST

musty stale

WEAK

banal bathetic cliché cliché-ridden clichéd common commonplace conventional dull everyday familiar hackneyed imitative moth-eaten overused poor set stereotyped stock tedious tired uncreative well-worn worn-out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

new

WEAK

fresh unused unworn

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 farmers are the poorest people in Ivory Coast," he added, showing his threadbare clothes.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

Years of squeezed spending in some areas leaving some parts of the public services threadbare.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2025

Bringing my “whole self” to every moment left me threadbare.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Her attorney, Abbe Lowell, dismissed the referral as “three pages of stale, threadbare allegations.”

From Salon • Sep. 17, 2025

No, I want to sob over an old, threadbare t-shirt.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller