Meaning

2 senses

  1. (archaic, transitive)To startle from quiet; to alarm.

  2. (archaic, transitive)To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.

Origin

From Middle English affraien (“to terrify, frighten”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman afrayer

From Middle English affraien (“to terrify, frighten”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman afrayer (“to terrify, disquiet, disturb”) and Old French effreer, esfreer (“to disturb, remove the peace from”) (compare modern French effrayer), from Vulgar Latin *exfridāre.

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Forms

affrays, affraying, affrayed, affrayed
Base formaffray · to affray
3rd person singularaffrays
Present participleaffraying
Past simpleaffrayed
Past participleaffrayed

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyaffray
he, she, itaffrays

Past simpleLesson

all personsaffrayed

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave affrayed
he, she, ithas affrayed

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill affray

Word family

2 related words
RelatedafraidA1
Derivedaffrayer

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
affluentaffordB1affordableB2affrontafghanaficionado
affray — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto