v. Obs. Forms: 4 ampayr-i, anpayr-i, apayr-i, -eir-i, 3–6 apeyre, 4–5 apeire, 4–6 apayre, 5 apaire, -eyer, appeare, appere, 5–6 appayre, -peyre, -paire, -peir(e, -pare, 6–7 -air(e. Also aphetic PAIR. [ad. OF. empeire-r, ampeire-r (mod. empirer), to worsen, f. em- = en- into + *peire-r:—L. pēiōrā-re to make worse, f. pēiōr- worse: cf. Pr. apejurar. The prefix of the early ampayre, anpayre, was subseq. treated like the native an- before a consonant, and reduced to a-, which was in 15th c. erron. spelt ap- by form-assoc. with words like ap-pear: see AP- pref.1 As early as 1300 a-paire was aphetized to paire, peire. Caxton restored the Fr. form empeyr, empayr, empair, which, early in 16th c., began to be refashioned after L. as IMPAIR, now the current form. Ampayr, anpayr, apayr, appair, enpayre, empair, impair, are thus variants of the same word.]
1. trans. To make worse, less valuable, weaker or less; to injure, damage, weaken; to IMPAIR.
1297. R. Glouc., 279. Destrude and apeyrede Cristendom.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 1517. Bakbyters … apeyryn many mannys lyfe.
1340. Ayenb., 10. To ampayri his guode los. Ibid., 237. Þe kueadnesse of þe ministre may anpayri þe oþre.
c. 1450. Merlin, vii. 110. Haueth pite of cristen feith that it be not a-peired thourgh yow.
1528. More, Heresyes, III. Wks. 1557, 226/2. Sacramentes … the goodnes whereof his noughtinesse can not appayre … That sacred sacrifice … can take none empayryng by the fylthe of his synne.
1561. T. N[orton], Calvin’s Inst., I. xvii. (1634), 90. For fear of appairing his feeble health.
1643. Prynne, Power Parl., II. 71. The ancient lawes … be greatly appaired.
2. intr. (by omission of refl. pron.) To grow or become worse, less valuable, weaker or less; to deteriorate, fall off, or decay.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 1475. Als þis lyfe es ay passand, Swa es þe worlde, ilk day, apayrand.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, li. 300. This piers, that hurt was so sore, Every day gan apeyren more and more.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W), VII. xxvi. 315/1. Yf the beste dye or appeyre, he that hyreth it shall stande to that losse.
a. 1509. Henry VII., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 21, I. 46. My syghte … will appayre dayly.
1534. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, III. (1540), 154. He that wetingly sellyth wyne that is apayring.
1581. W. Stafford, Exam. Compl., iii. (1876), 80. As the coyne appayred, so rose the prices of thinges.
