English vocabulary · B2
Bray
/breɪ/ · v., n.
To bray is to make a very loud and rough sound. A donkey does this, and a person's voice can make the same hard sound when they shout.
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Example sentences
- The donkey brayed until the whole farm woke.
- One loud man brayed across the quiet room.
Word origin and roots
from Old French
- braire — cry (from Old French)
Synonyms and nuances
- SHOUT — speak with a lot of force (Loud Human Voice)
- BELLOW — make a very deep loud sound (Deep And Powerful)
- SCREECH — make a painful high sound (High And Sharp)
Similar words
- shout
- yell
- bellow
Lesson notes
To bray is to make a very loud and rough sound. A donkey does this, and a person's voice can make the same hard sound when they shout.
Related: shout, bellow, screech. Use bray when a loud voice sounds rough and hurts.
The donkey brayed until the whole farm woke. One loud man brayed across the quiet room.
From Old French. Braire means cry. One rough cry breaks a calm, quiet field. That is bray.