Synonyms for fray
freɪfray

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.0 / 3 votes

1. fray

   A feud is enmity between families, clans, or parties, with acts of hostility mutually retaliated and avenged; feud is rarely used of individuals, never of nations. While all the other words of the group may refer to that which is transient, a feud is long-enduring, and often hereditary. Dissension is used of a number of persons, of a party or other organization. Bitterness is in feeling only; enmity and hostility involve will and purpose to oppose or injure. A quarrel is in word or act, or both, and is commonly slight and transient, as we speak of childish quarrels; contention and strife may be in word or deed; contest ordinarily involves some form of action. Contest is often used in a good sense, contention and strife very rarely so. Controversy is commonly in words; strife extends from verbal controversy to the contests of armies. Affray, brawl, and broil, like quarrel, are words of inferior dignity. An affray or broil may arise at a street corner; the affray always involves physical force; the brawl or broil may be confined to violent language.

   Synonyms:
   affray, animosity, bitterness, brawl, broil, contention, contest, controversy, dispute, dissension, enmity, feud, hostility, quarrel, strife

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. affray, disturbance, fray, ruffleverb

   a noisy fight

   Synonyms:
   commotion, mental disturbance, hurly burly, disturbance, mental disorder, interference, ruff, folie, upset, flounce, flutter, choker, to-do, psychological disorder, perturbation, furbelow, kerfuffle, fracas, frill, hoo-ha, disruption, altercation, ruffle, noise, neck ruff, affray, hoo-hah

2. fray, frazzleverb

   wear away by rubbing

   "The friction frayed the sleeve"

   Synonyms:
   scratch, frazzle, chafe, fret, rub

3. rub, fray, fret, chafe, scratchverb

   cause friction

   "my sweater scratches"

   Synonyms:
   fuss, eat into, itch, excise, gag, choke, scratch up, nark, erode, fret, excoriate, bother, rile, scrub, gravel, strike, rub, inscribe, rankle, get to, eat away, come up, scrape up, scrape, cancel, nettle, gall, call off, chafe, get at, engrave, scratch, irritate, annoy, frazzle, niggle, rag, expunge, vex, grate, devil, grave

Matched Categories

1. • Break
   • Touch

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. fraynoun

   Synonyms:
   combat, battle, fight

2. fraynoun

   Synonyms:
   broil, quarrel, riot, affray

3. frayverb

   Synonyms:
   rub, wear, fret

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. fraynoun

   Synonyms:
   fight, battle, combat, broil, affray, fret, chafe

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "fray":

   frey

Suggested Resources

1. FRAY

   What does FRAY stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the FRAY acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce fray?

How to say fray in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use fray in a sentence?

1. Coleman Breland:

   We didn't just jump into the fray and say let's offer an SVOD [ streaming video on demand ] service, this is very targeted and focused.

2. Butler:

   An ass will with his long ears fray The flies that tickle him away; But man delights to have his ears Blown maggots in by flatterers.

3. Daniel Hanson:

   Oil suppliers have already been hesitant to absorb the counterparty risk of engaging with PREPA on longer-run fuel contracts, and investigations like these are unlikely to inspire new bids into the fray.

4. Homer:

   He lives not long who battles with the immortals, nor do his children prattle about his knees when he has come back from battle and the dread fray.

5. Deborah Carr:

   When people first fall in love, where they first feel infatuation, sometimes logic goes out the window, there's lots of data showing that logical thought patterns sometimes get lost in the fray when someone really is very attracted to a person or they're feeling the throes of passion.