frazzle

present singular third person frazzles · participle present frazzling · participle past frazzled · past frazzled · alternative frazle

1. transitiveTo fray or wear down, especially at the edges.

   The new puppy has been chewing on everything, and my favorite afghan has become frazzled.

   3 more examples

   Frazle, to unravel or rend cloth. Frazlings, threads of cloth, torn or unravelled.

   a. 1825, Forby, Voc. E. Anglia

   One’s garments get frazzled in the grass; one’s mind and body and spiritual sense sometimes become frazzled, torn to pieces, good-for-nothing.

   1893 December, The American Missionary, New York: American Missionary Association, page 418

   Her hair was of a reddish-gray color, and its frazzled and tangled condition suggested that the woman had recently passed through a period of extreme excitement.

   1887, Joel Chandler Harris, Free Joe and Other Georgian Sketches

2. transitiveTo drain emotionally or physically.

   After dealing with the children all day, I just can’t help feeling frazzled.

   1 more example

   One’s garments get frazzled in the grass; one’s mind and body and spiritual sense sometimes become frazzled, torn to pieces, good-for-nothing.

   1893 December, The American Missionary, New York: American Missionary Association, page 418

plural frazzles · alternative frazle

1. informalA burnt fragment; a cinder or crisp.

   The bacon was burned to a frazzle.

2. informalThe condition or quality of being frazzled; a frayed end.

   1886–90, John G. Nicolay and John Hay, Abraham Lincoln: A History Gordon had sent word to Lee that he had fought his corps to a frazzle

   3 more examples

   Two years ago his nerves were worn to a frazzle over an attempt made to levy a tax.

   1894 January 2nd, The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus

   My fingers are all cut to frazzles..

   1897, Rudyard Kipling, Captains Courageous (Chapter III)

   The little girl, a little dancing imp with a frazzle of flying red hair and red-brown eyes.

   1908, Alice MacGowan, Judith of the Cumberlands, page 29

3. A messy situation or scene.

   This is getting to be a real frazzle. We've had more odd characters running around here since that girl moved in than I have the patience to deal with

   2006, Mark Coggins, The Immortal Game, Big Earth Publishing, →ISBN, page 19

   1 more example

   It ends with a splendid phone conversation between Robin and her mother. Robin (Laura Luz) is a frazzle of choreographed energy as her explanations are obviously leading to more trouble.

   1980 December 20, Stewart Landers, “Triangle Produces Good Gay Theater”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 22, page 14