bray Meaning & Definition
What Does Bray Mean?
As a verb, bray means Of an animal (now chiefly of animals related to the ass or donkey, and the camel): to make its cry. It is also used to mean To make a harsh, discordant sound like a donkey's bray. As a noun, it means The cry of an animal, now chiefly that of animals related to the ass or donkey, or the camel. As a noun, it means (by extension) Any discordant, grating, or harsh sound.
Quick Facts About Bray
| Part of speech | verb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /bɹeɪ/ |
| Synonyms | grind, mash and crunch |
| Plural | brays |
| Verb forms | brays, braying, brayed |
Bray Definition (Verb)
- Of an animal (now chiefly of animals related to the ass or donkey, and the camel): to make its cry.
Whenever I walked by, that donkey brayed at me.
- To make a harsh, discordant sound like a donkey's bray.
He threw back his head and brayed with laughter.
- To make or utter (a shout, sound, etc.) discordantly, loudly, or in a harsh and grating manner.
Bray as a Noun
- The cry of an animal, now chiefly that of animals related to the ass or donkey, or the camel.
- Any discordant, grating, or harsh sound.
Verb
- To crush or pound, especially using a pestle and mortar.
- To hit (someone or something).
Noun
- (by extension) Any discordant, grating, or harsh sound.
Verb
- (by extension) To make a harsh, discordant sound like a donkey's bray.
He threw back his head and brayed with laughter.
Verb
- (by extension) To hit (someone or something).
Synonyms of Bray
Bray synonyms and antonyms →Bray in a Sentence
Whenever I walked by, that donkey brayed at me.
He threw back his head and brayed with laughter.
Word Forms & Grammar
bray (third-person singular simple present brays, present participle braying, simple past and past participle brayed)
bray (plural brays)
Words That Rhyme With Bray
Origin of Bray
Origin 1: The verb is derived from Middle English brayen, brai, bray, braye (“of a person or animal: to vocalize loudly; of the weather: to make a loud sound, howl, roar”),[1] from Old French brai, braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to cry or shout out”) (modern French braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to shout; to cry, weep”)),[2] possibly from Vulgar Latin *bragiō, from Gaulish *bragu (compare Breton breugiñ (“to bray”), brammañ (“to flatulate”), Cornish bramma, brabma (“to flatulate”), Old Irish braigid (“to flatulate”)), from Proto-Celtic *brageti, *bragyeti (“to flatulate”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreHg- (“to flatulate; to stink”); cognate with Latin fragrō (“to smell”). Alternatively, the word could be from a Germanic source, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), and cognate with frangere (“to break, shatter”).
Origin 2: The noun is derived from the verb, or from Middle English brai, brait (“shriek; outcry”),[3] from Old French brai, brait (“a cry”), from braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to shout; to cry, weep”); see above.[4]
Origin 3: From Middle English brayen (“to break or crush into pieces”),[5] from Anglo-Norman breier, Old French breie, breier, broiier (modern French broyer (“to crush, grind”)), possibly from Frankish *brekan (“to break”), from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”);[6] thus making the English word a doublet of break.
Questions People Ask About Bray
Is bray a verb or a noun?
Bray is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for bray?
Words with a similar meaning to bray include grind, mash and crunch. See the full list of bray synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of bray?
The plural of bray is brays.
What is the past tense of bray?
The past tense of bray is brayed. The present participle is braying.