Obs. or arch. Forms: 4 afrai, afrey, 4–7 afray(e, affraye, 4– affray. Pa. t. 4 afrayed, affraied, 6 affraide, afraid. Pa. pple.: see AFRAID. Also aphetic FRAY. [a. Anglo-Fr. afraye-r, effraye-r, early OFr. effreer, esfreer, 1 sing. pres. esfrei, (Pr. esfredar):—late L. ex-fridāre; f. ex out of + late L. fridus, fridum, ad. Teut. friðu (OHG. fridu, OSax. friðu, OE. frið, ON. friðr) peace. The pa. pple. AFFRAYED, ‘alarmed,’ acquired the meaning of ‘in a state of fear,’ and has since the 16th c. been treated as a distinct word: see AFRAID.]
1. To disturb, or startle, from sleep or quiet, as a sudden noise does; passing into the sense of alarm, as the effect of such startling. arch.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. Poems, B. 1780. Afrayed þay no freke … & to þe palays pryncipal þay aproched ful stylle.
c. 1369. Chaucer, Blaunche, 296. Smale foules a great hepe That had afrayed [v.r. affrayed, afraied] me out of my slepe.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 371. I was out of my swoune affraid.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xxv. 227. And wondirly sore afrayed ȝhe was Of his noise sche herde in that plas.
1563. Barnabe Googe, Eglogs, vi. (Arb.), 55. Than rest and slepe I straightway sought No Dreames dyd me afraye.
1820. Keats, St. Agnes, xxix. The kettle-drum, and far-heard clarionet Affray his ears.
† b. To disturb with hostilities; to attack with an armed force. Obs. rare.
1467. Marg. Paston, in Lett., 576. II. 308. Ye wote wele that I have ben affrayd ther befor this tyme.
By imperceptible gradations the idea of alarm passed into that of
2. To frighten, to affect with fear; especially in the passive voice to be affrayed or AFRAID. arch.
c. 1314. Guy Warw., 57. Now goth Gii sore desmaid, His woundes him han iuel afreyd.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 158. For of thet he hadde her y-do He was affrayde.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Clerkes T., 399. Nedelees, god woot, he thoghte hire for t’ affraye [MS. Heng. t’afraye].
1456. Past. Lett., 277, I. 380. I have somwhat affrayed them, and made hem spend mony.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froissart, I. ccxxix. 307. The whiche so affrayed them, that they had no lust to go thyder.
1637. Gillespie, Eng.-Pop. Cerem., II. i. 6. If Papists … were so affrayed of Conformists.
1763–5. Churchill, Duellist, I. Poems II. 7. Bid Terror, posting on the wind, Affray the spirits of mankind.
1875. B. Taylor, Faust, xxv. I. 212. Nay, sheathe thy sword at last! Do not affray me!
† 3. intr. (refl.) To be afraid, to fear. (Fr. s’effrayer.) Obs.
c. 1440. Partonope, 845. She gan affray of this sodeyn caas.
4. To scare, to startle or alarm into running away, to frighten away. arch. Cf. FRAY.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVI. 205. [Thai] dang on thame so hardely, That all thair fayis afrayit war.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, VII. 3200. Þai affrayet the folke fuersly by dene, Sesit and slogh, slongen to ground.
1549. Compl. Scotl., vii. 70. Beand al affrayit ande fleyit for dreddour of his lyue.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. v. 33. Since arme from arme that voyce doth vs affray.
a. 1610. Babington, Wks., 32. To prick vs to the good and to afray vs from the euill.
1855. Singleton, Virgil, I. 80. And with a din Affray the birds.
Affray, used for DEFRAY.
1584. Lodge, Alarum agst. Vsurers (1853), 48. Not having friends to releeve them, or money to affray their charges.
