threadbare

adjective

thread·​bare ˈthred-ˌber 

1

a

: having the nap worn off so that the thread shows : shabby

threadbare clothes

b

: wearing threadbare clothing : very poor

took in threadbare relatives

—Russell Baker

c

: barely adequate because of cheapness or shabbiness

a threadbare production

2

: exhausted of interest or freshness

threadbareness noun

Synonyms

• beat-up
• bombed-out
• dilapidated
• dog-eared
• down-at-the-heels
• down-at-heel
• down-at-the-heel
• down-at-heels
• dumpy
• grungy
• mangy
• mean
• miserable
• moth-eaten
• neglected
• ratty
• run-down
• scrubby
• scruffy
• seedy
• shabby
• sleazy
• tacky
• tatterdemalion
• tatty
• timeworn
• tumbledown

Choose the Right Synonym for threadbare

trite, hackneyed, stereotyped, threadbare mean lacking the freshness that evokes attention or interest.

trite applies to a once effective phrase or idea spoiled from long familiarity.

"you win some, you lose some" is a trite expression

hackneyed stresses being worn out by overuse so as to become dull and meaningless.

all of the metaphors and images in the poem are hackneyed

stereotyped implies falling invariably into the same pattern or form.

views of minorities that are stereotyped and out-of-date

threadbare applies to what has been used until its possibilities of interest have been totally exhausted.

a mystery novel with a threadbare plot

Examples of threadbare in a Sentence

bought a threadbare couch at a garage sale

a novel filled with nothing but threadbare clichés

Recent Examples on the Web

The interior of the offensive line is threadbare, with question marks at center and one guard spot. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024

But as ProPublica reported this year, court oversight of these officials is threadbare. —Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 8 Nov. 2024

In the late ’70s, Hooper’s movie had made its way from first-run theaters to the threadbare drive-ins of New England. —Chris Nashawaty, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Oct. 2024

Nonprofits offer a wide but threadbare safety net Across the U.S., nonprofit agencies offer a range of services to people who are homeless, including shelter, housing, rehabilitation, job training and counseling. —Morvarid Rahmani, The Conversation, 25 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

threadbare

adjective

thread·​bare ˈthred-ˌba(ə)r 

-ˌbe(ə)r

1

: worn so much that the thread shows : shabby

threadbare clothes

2

: barely adequate

a threadbare store with few items

a threadbare event lacking excitement

3

: having lost freshness and interest from overuse

threadbare jokes