noun / verb
bray
BRAY/brˈeɪ/
A loud, harsh cry like a donkey's, or to make such a cry.
The donkey brays with its neck extended and mouth open.
Etymology
Old French braire meant broadly “to cry”; English uses bray especially for a donkey’s harsh call. The deeper origin is uncertain, though probably imitative.
In context
taking hold of his nose, he began to bray so vigorously that all the valleys around rang again.
More examples
- A harsh bray echoes across the yard.
- He laughs with an awkward, braying sound.
- The animals begin braying when the feed cart arrives.
Forms
bray · brays · brayed · braying
Similar words
- bellow
- A deep, loud cry rather than the characteristic harsh donkey sound.
- hee-haw
- Hee-haw imitates a donkey’s characteristic cry; bray names the sound and can extend to human voices.