threadbare
Americanadjective
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having the nap worn off so as to lay bare the threads of the warp and woof, as a fabric, garment, etc.
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wearing threadbare clothes; shabby or poor.
a threadbare old man.
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meager, scanty, or poor.
a threadbare emotional life.
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hackneyed; trite; ineffectively stale.
threadbare arguments.
adjective
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(of cloth, clothing, etc) having the nap worn off so that the threads are exposed
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meagre or poor
a threadbare existence
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hackneyed
a threadbare argument
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wearing threadbare clothes; shabby
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of threadbare
First recorded in 1325–75, threadbare is from the Middle English word thredbare. See thread, bare 1
Explanation
Those jeans you wear every day that have holes in the knees and thin patches in the rear? They're threadbare. Threadbare means "thin from overuse." Furniture, clothing, or a rug is threadbare if the fabric is thin and worn through. If your father tells the same jokes over and over again, you might accuse him of having a threadbare sense of humor. A friend who chooses to live a threadbare lifestyle doesn't have a lot of things, and what they do have is not in the best of shape. When you see this word, picture your childhood stuffed animal with the fur rubbed thin from too much cuddling.
Vocabulary lists containing threadbare
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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.
But her old sofa is threadbare, and she no longer has to worry about pets ruining her furniture, so she is ready for an upgrade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
So, yes, they went into the National League Divisional Series looking past the threadbare Atlanta Braves and thinking about the National League Championship Series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Whether it was because a threadbare backroom team was overworked, or England's overall attitude was not good enough, Smith was rarely seen doing the hard yards with the gloves on.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Both Hole’s Courtney Love and Babes in Toyland’s Kat Bjelland claimed to be the first to perform in vintage, threadbare dresses with Peter Pan collars and puff sleeves, accessorized with knee socks and Mary Janes.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
She knew it was him by the sheepskin slippers, by the shape of his trousers, by the oversize threadbare sweater.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
