1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
bought a threadbare couch at a garage sale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
a novel filled with nothing but threadbare clichés
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
I loved that threadbare shirt, but after 10 years of wear, it was time to throw it away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
never knew that she had so many threadbare relatives until she won the lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of threadbare
Merchants in fine suits rode in carriages or on sedan chairs while enslaved people lugging carts and crates wore dirty, threadbare clothing and could be publicly whipped or burned to death for misbehavior.
—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
For the past 10 months, since a frustrated Colbert announced the cancellation of the three-decade-old talk show in July 2025, the countdown to his farewell has been looming over Colbert and the whole of the late-night genre like a guillotine with a threadbare rope.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Picture him in his threadbare suit, nervously smoking his Tecla cigarettes, his eyes obliquely devouring everything, his notes on a small table that resembles a pulpit.
—
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
For every person who prefers spending their holiday by the infinity pool of an all-inclusive resort, there’s another who sleeps in moldy dormitories, sweats on hours-long bus rides without air conditioning, and lives out of a bulging, threadbare backpack.
—
Tim Brinkhof,
Time,
4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for threadbare
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
For the past 10 months, since a frustrated Colbert announced the cancellation of the three-decade-old talk show in July 2025, the countdown to his farewell has been looming over Colbert and the whole of the late-night genre like a guillotine with a threadbare rope.
—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Picture him in his threadbare suit, nervously smoking his Tecla cigarettes, his eyes obliquely devouring everything, his notes on a small table that resembles a pulpit.
—
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
For every person who prefers spending their holiday by the infinity pool of an all-inclusive resort, there’s another who sleeps in moldy dormitories, sweats on hours-long bus rides without air conditioning, and lives out of a bulging, threadbare backpack.
—
Tim Brinkhof,
Time,
4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for threadbare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threadbare
Adjective
-
Sixteen children from the same family who were rescued from a dilapidated home in rural Ohio were living in wretched conditions with human waste all around, confined to just one room over much of the past four years, authorities said Wednesday.
-
The parents and grandparents of 16 children found living in a dilapidated house in southern Ohio were arraigned Wednesday on more than a dozen felony child endangerment charges, officials said.
Adjective
-
This is a directed, stereotyped behavior in which the highest-resolution region of the somatosensory surface is brought to bear on the object requiring the most detailed analysis.
-
Latinos are a fundamental part of American history and culture, and one of the largest communities in the United States, yet their presence in Hollywood has long been limited, stereotyped, or overlooked.
Adjective
-
There was a phone book, camera film canisters, metal pins, the tattered remains of a baseball cap and an orange t-shirt with the outline of a giant thumbs up.
-
His main challenge will be to overcome Starmer's inability to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living.
Adjective
-
This British drama series follows a woman named Emma over the course of more than six decades of her life, from the 1900s through the 1970s, working her way from impoverished maid to the world’s richest woman.
-
Known as a Neglected Tropical Disease because of the lack of funding to fight it, schistosomiasis is a serious challenge for impoverished communities.
Adjective
-
Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
-
Cinematographer Guillermo Garza shoots neglected settings like fine art, embracing the grime.
Adjective
-
Depredation occurs when a shark steals an angler’s catch off their line, and Florida’s fishers are tired of it.
-
Pugh is tired of seeing her mom suffer by no fault of her own.
Adjective
-
This leaves ragged and bruised leaf tips behind that quickly turn brown and are more susceptible to disease.
-
His hushed, ragged whisper feels suitably weathered, fitting a collection of songs that never are in a hurry.
Adjective
-
Because of that, these hands suffer from high production costs, poor durability against impacts, short operational lifespans, and there are no existing solutions that engineers can readily draw upon, Wang added.
-
The extreme heat can also affect people who are physically ill, especially those with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation.
Cite this Entry
“Threadbare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threadbare. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
