Threadbare (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse; "bromidic sermons"; "his remarks were trite and commonplace"; "hackneyed phrases"; "a stock answer"; "repeating threadbare jokes"; "parroting some timeworn axiom"; "the trite metaphor `hard as nails'".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The politician's threadbare promises of change had lost all credibility with the voters.
- Her threadbare excuses for not attending the meeting were starting to sound ridiculous.
- The comedian's threadbare jokes about marriage and kids fell flat with the audience.
- The professor's threadbare lecture on the importance of hard work was met with eye-rolls from the students.
- The writer's threadbare plot device of a heroic underdog was overly familiar and lacked originality.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Having the nap worn away so that the threads show through; "threadbare rugs".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The threadbare couch had been in the family for decades and was now a symbol of their economic struggles.
- After years of heavy use, the carpet was threadbare in many places, and the hardwood floor beneath showed through.
- She covered up in her threadbare blanket, feeling a chill despite the warm summer night.
- The once-rich carpet had become threadbare, its vibrant colors dulled and its surface uneven.
- He made a point to get to the office early, dressed in his threadbare suit and carrying his old briefcase.