0 Threadbare material or clothes have become thin or damaged because they have been used a lot. -- （織物或衣服）磨光露底的，穿舊的
a threadbare coat 磨破的外套
1 A threadbare excuse, argument, or idea is not strong and no longer persuades people because it is old or has been used too much. -- （藉口、論點或想法）陳舊的，老一套的
a threadbare excuse 老掉牙的藉口
Ministerial bluster will not hide the threadbare nature of past promises and the present failure to deliver.
I feel that there are possiblities there, and that many of us who find our pockets, after many years, getting rather threadbare.
I do not want to be tempted into probing more deeply that rather threadbare object, the social contract.
In the absence of any such efforts, this proposal is pretty threadbare.
I believe, said that the debate was already starting to run a trifle threadbare.
They referred to the poor laundry service, threadbare sheets and a toilet without a seat at a teaching hospital.
We could not afford to make proposals anything like as threadbare as these.
I thought that the coat looked a little threadbare, but it might just about last out to the next election.
