threadbare
threadbare Lexical Profile
threadbare Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having the nap worn off so that the underlying threads show through; tattered, frayed, or shabby from long use (of cloth, carpets, or clothing).
"He pulled a threadbare wool coat tightly around his shoulders to block out the winter wind."
Overused and lacking originality, force, or validity after being repeated too often (of an idea, argument, or excuse).
"The committee quickly rejected his threadbare excuses for missing the project deadline."
Poor, impoverished, or having very meager financial resources (of a person, lifestyle, or establishment).
"The novel chronicles the struggles of a threadbare artist living in a small attic apartment."
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in late Middle English as a compound of 'thread' and 'bare', originally describing woven cloth whose nap had worn away so completely that the underlying base threads were exposed.