Obs. exc. dial. Forms: α. 3 wrah, 4 wragh, 5 wraȝe; 4 wrau, 4–5 (9 north. dial.) wrawe, 4–6 wraw, 9 dial. raw. β. 4 wrowe, wroȝ, 5 wrow. [Of obscure origin; the forms indicate an unrecorded OE. *wráh, *wráʓ.]
1. Of persons: Angry, wrathful, wroth.
c. 1205. Lay., 3354. Þis iherde Leir king; þar fore he wes swuþe wrah.
a. 1275. Ancr. R., 416 (Cott. Cleop. MS.). Þet nan from ow ne parti wið scandle, ne wrah, ne mispaiet.
a. 1300. Thrush & Night., in Hazl., E. P. P., I. 51. Hy gladieth hem that beth wrowe.
c. 1315. Shoreham, IV. 139. Wat helppe hyt so wrau to be, Wanne þou wyþ gode chyst?
c. 1386. Chaucer, Manc. Prol., 46. With this speche the Cook wax wrooth & wraw.
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet (Prose), 8. Wisit þat er seke;… Sahtil þat ere wraȝe.
c. 1500. Blowbol’s Test., in Halliwell, Nugæ Poeticæ, 9. They be than so angry and so wraw.
a. 1529. Skelton, Agst. Garnesche, ii. 40. Thow mantycore,… Wranglynge, waywyrde, wytles, wraw, and nothyng meke.
1811. Willan, in Archaeol. (1814), XVII. 163. Wrawe, angry.
1887. Kentish Gloss., 126. Raw, angry.—Sittingbourne.
b. Marked or characterized by anger or ire.
c. 1475. Promp. Parv. (K.), 80/2. Clenchyn a-ȝen in wraw speche,… obgarrio.
2. Peevish, crabbed; perverse, contrarious.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 677. Accidie maketh hym heuy thoughtfull & wrawe [v.rr. wrowe, Ellesm. MS. wrawful].
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 99/2. Crabbyd, awke, or wrawe…, ceronicus, bilosus. Ibid., 533/1. Wraw, froward, ongoodly,… protervus, exasperans.
Hence † Wrawful a., = WRAW a. 2; † Wrawly adv., perversely; † Wrawness, perverseness.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 680. He dooth alle thyng with anoy and with wrawnesse, slaknesse, and excusacion.
c. 1400. wrawful [see prec. 2].
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 18/2. Awkely, or wrawely, perverse, contrarie. Ibid., 533/1. Wrawnesse, protervia,… bilositas, perversitas.
