Threadbare
/ˈθrɛdˌbɛər/noun
Worn so thin that the threads of the fabric show, or figuratively shabby and lacking freshness.
Did you know?By the 19th century, “threadbare” had shifted from describing visibly worn clothing to describing overused ideas, clichés, and even tired excuses.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*terh₁-
“To rub, turn, or twist; a proposed deep root associated with the Germanic ancestry of “thread.””
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þraidi
“A thread or twisted strand.”
Old English
OE
þrǣd
“A thread, cord, or filament.”
Old English
OE
bær
“Naked, uncovered, or without covering.”
Middle English
ME
thred + bare
“A thread combined with the sense of being uncovered or exposed.”
16th Century
English
threadbare
“Worn so thin that the threads of cloth became visible.”
Modern English
English
threadbare
“Physically worn out; figuratively stale, shabby, or overused.”