threadbare

/ˈθɹɛdbɛə/

//ˈθɹɛdbɛə// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"threadbare" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“threadbare” is an uncommon English word, ranked #57,770 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#57,770
frequency rank, English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of cloth, clothing, furnishings, etc.: frayed and worn to an extent that the nap is damaged and the warp and weft threads show; shabby, worn-out.

Key facts for threadbare
PropertyValue
Headwordthreadbare
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈθɹɛdbɛə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#57,770
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “threadbare” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). threadbare lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for threadbare is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈθɹɛdbɛə/. Corpus data places it at rank #57,770 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

threadbare has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *bʰosós From Middle English thred-bar, thred-bare (“of cloth, clothing, etc.: worn to such an extent that the warp and weft threads show, shabby, worn-out; (figurative) inadequate, poor”) [and other forms], from thred (“piece of textile twine”) (f… The correct English form is threadbare, spelled T-H-R-E-A-D-B-A-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of cloth, clothing, furnishings, etc.: frayed and worn to an extent that the nap is damaged and the warp and weft threads show; shabby, worn-out.
  2. 2
    In poor condition; damaged, shabby; also, poorly equipped or provided for, inadequate, meagre, scanty.
  3. 3
    Of an argument, excuse, etc.: used so often that it is no longer effective or interesting; banal, clichéd, trite.
  4. 4
    An argument or assertion with little in the way of substance or supporting evidence.
  5. 5
    Of a person: wearing clothes of threadbare (sense 1) material; hence, impoverished, poor.

Etymology

PIE word *bʰosós From Middle English thred-bar, thred-bare (“of cloth, clothing, etc.: worn to such an extent that the warp and weft threads show, shabby, worn-out; (figurative) inadequate, poor”) [and other forms], from thred (“piece of textile twine”) (from Old English þrǣd (“thread”), from Proto-Germanic *þrēduz (“thread; twisted fibre”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to drill, pierce; to rub; to turn, twist”)) + bar, bare (“naked, unclothed, bare; not covered”) (from Old English bær (“naked, bare; unconcealed”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *bazaz (“naked, bare”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰosós (“bare; barefoot”)). The English word is analysable as thread + bare.

This word in other languages

raído(Español)élimé(Français)fadenscheinig(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "threadbare"?
"threadbare" is spelled T-H-R-E-A-D-B-A-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθɹɛdbɛə/.
What does "threadbare" mean?
As an adjective, "threadbare" means: Of cloth, clothing, furnishings, etc.: frayed and worn to an extent that the nap is damaged and the warp and weft threads show; shabby, worn-out.
How do you pronounce "threadbare"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "threadbare" is /ˈθɹɛdbɛə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "threadbare"?
PIE word *bʰosós From Middle English thred-bar, thred-bare (“of cloth, clothing, etc.: worn to such an extent that the warp and weft threads show, shabby, worn-out; (figurative) inadequate, poor”) [and other forms], from thred (“piece of textile ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “threadbare”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-H-R-E-A-D-B-A-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈθɹɛdbɛə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list