Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, 3rd person singular presenttense brays, present participle braying, past tense, past participle brayed
1. verb
When a donkey brays, it makes a loud harsh sound.
The donkey brayed and tried to bolt. [VERB]
Synonyms: neigh, bellow, screech, whinny More Synonyms of bray
2. verb
If someone brays, they make a loud harsh sound or talk in a loud harsh way.
[written]
Neil brayed with angry laughter. [VERB preposition]
Her voice was shockingly loud. 'Put the chair down,' she brayed. [VERB with quote]
William had a loud, braying voice. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: roar, trumpet, bellow, hoot More Synonyms of bray
Bray is also a noun.
She cut him off with a wild bray of laughter.
More Synonyms of bray
bray in British English1
(breɪ)
verb
1. (intransitive)
(of a donkey) to utter its characteristic loud harsh sound; heehaw
2. (intransitive)
to make a similar sound, as in laughing
he brayed at the joke
3. (transitive)
to utter with a loud harsh sound
noun
4.
the loud harsh sound uttered by a donkey
5.
a similar loud cry or uproar
a bray of protest
Derived forms
brayer (ˈbrayer)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French braire, probably of Celtic origin
bray in British English2
(breɪ)
verb
1. (transitive)
to distribute (ink) over printing type or plates
2. (transitive)
to pound into a powder, as in a mortar
3. Northern England dialect
to hit or beat (someone or something) hard; bang
Derived forms
brayer (ˈbrayer)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French breier of Germanic origin; see break
bray in American English1
(breɪ)
verb intransitive
1.
to make the loud, harsh cry of a donkey, or a sound, esp. a laugh, like this
verb transitive
2.
to utter loudly and harshly
noun
3.
the loud, harsh cry of a donkey, or a sound like this
Word origin
ME braien < OFr braire < VL *bragire, to cry out
bray in American English2
(breɪ)
verb transitive
1.
to crush or pound into a powder, as in a mortar
2.
to spread thin, as ink
Word origin
ME braien < OFr breier, to pound, pulverize; prob. < Frank *brekan, break
Examples of 'bray' in a sentence
bray
What was that braying wall of sound?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She made the sound of donkeys braying.
Bachmann, Susan (editor) & Barth, Melinda Between Worlds: A Reader, Rhetoric and Handbook (1995)
You also have a laugh like a braying donkey.
The Sun (2010)
The braying of donkeys echoes along the narrow gorge in the dawn.
Aidan Hartley THE ZANZIBAR CHEST: A Memoir of Love and War (2003)
It took me a few seconds to realise that it was a donkey braying.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The only sounds are made by birds, surf and braying donkeys.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
She visibly shrank in the face of a barrage of baritone braying, her voice faltering and fading as she gamely struggled on.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
At the moment they cause him to breathe in loudly and make a noise like a donkey braying - and he also pulls on his eyelids.
The Sun (2013)
1 (verb)
Definition
(of a donkey) to utter its characteristic loud harsh sound
The donkey brayed and tried to bolt.
Synonyms
neigh
bellow
screech
She was screeching at them.
whinny
heehaw
2 (verb)
Definition
to utter something with a loud harsh sound
Pavel brayed with angry laughter.
Synonyms
roar
He threw back his head and roared.
trumpet
bellow
He bellowed the information into the telephone.
hoot
1 (noun)
Definition
the loud harsh sound uttered by a donkey
It was a strange laugh, like the bray of a donkey.