v. Obs. Forms: Inf. 1 agrís-an, 2–4 agris-en, 2–7 agrise, 3–7 agryse, 4–5 agrese, 6 agryce, agryze, aggrise, aggryese, 6–7 agrize, 7 aggrize. Pa. t. 1–3 agrás, 3–5 agros, 4 agroos, 5 agrose. Pa. pple. 1–4 agrisen, 3–4 agrise, 4–5 agrised, 5 agresyd, 6 agryz’d. [f. A- pref. 1 intensive + GRISE, same root as grís- horror. Cf. grisly.]
1. intr. To shudder with terror, be full of horror; to tremble, quake, be greatly afraid or moved.
a. 1000. Laws of Cnut (Thorpe I. 374, Bosw.). Ðæt he for helle agrise.
c. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 306. Swuch ȝeor þet heouene & eorðe muwen beoðe grisliche agrisen.
c. 1320. Seuyn Sages (W.), 886. To gon therinne [i.e. in the forest] ech man agros.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 3370. Of þe siȝte agrise he gan.
c. 1385. Chaucer, Leg. G. Wom., 830. And in his herte he sodeynly agroos, And pale he wex.
c. 1461. Play of Sacr., 902. For that presumcon gretly I agryse.
1534. More, Comf. agst. Trib., III. Wks. 1557, 1215/2. Their heartes agryce & shrynke in the remembraunce of the payne.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. III. (1641), 223/1. Already in each nook agrising, Fell, wall-break Famine ill-advising Howls hideously.
2. trans. To shudder at (with terror or abhorrence); to dread, abhor, loathe.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boethius (1868), 31. If þou agrisest hir fals[e] trecherie.
1382. Wyclif, Job xix. 17. My wif agriside my breth.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 351. She hadde … after wrought in suche a wise, All the worlde it ought agrise.
1468. Cov. Myst. (1841), 41. Ony worke of synful dede Oure Lord God that xulde agryse.
3. refl. (obj. orig. indirect—he shuddered to himself.)
1205. Layam., 11977. Haȝel and ræin þer aræs; Þe hit i-seh him agras [1250 agros].
a. 1300. K. Horn, 867. Horn him gan to agrise, And his blod arise.
4. impers. (cf. ‘it abhors me, it repented him.’)
1205. Layam., 13329. Þer uore me a-griseð.
c. 1300. Beket, 688. Sumdel him agros.
c. 1460. Lybeaus Disconus, 1884. Therfore hym grym agros.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. x. 28. And powring forth their bloud in brutishe wize, That any yron eyes, to see, it would agrize.
5. trans. (from impers., by defining the subject.) a. active, To horrify, terrify, affright.
c. 1314. Guy Warw., 49. Nas ther non that him agros.
1447. Bokenham, Lyvys of Seyntys, 75. These wordis urban so sore dyde agryse.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. vii. 47. My goist sall be present the to aggrise.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., II. vi. 46. Engrost with mud which did them fowle agrise.
1611. Florio, Legare, to agrize or set ones teeth on edge.
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, I. I. xxx. Their course the best Astronomer might well aggrize.
b. passive, To be horrified, terrified or afraid.
1297. R. Glouc., 539. Tho were the porters agrise sore of thulke siȝte.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. IV. 353. Þe fader and þe moder were agrised [abhorrerent] for to slee þe childe.
c. 1430. Lydg., Minor Poems (1840), 141. Hooly Awstyn … was of the caas agrised.
1613. W. Browne, Sheph. Pipe, I. 501. Of whose sight he full sore was agrysed.
