Definition

1. Noun:

   • The loud, harsh cry of a donkey: A bray is the characteristic sound made by a donkey, often described as a loud "hee-haw."

2. Verb:

   • To make the loud, harsh cry of a donkey: When an animal, typically a donkey, brays, it emits its characteristic cry.
   • To laugh or speak in a loud, harsh, and unpleasant manner: To bray can describe a person making a sound that is similarly loud, grating, and lacking in refinement.
   • To crush or grind something into small pieces, especially by pounding: This is a more archaic or technical meaning, referring to the action of pulverizing a substance.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The sudden bray of the donkey startled the hikers.
  • We could hear the bray of a mule from the neighboring farm.

• Verb (animal sound):

  • The donkey began to bray at dawn.
  • Why does that mule bray every time it sees me?

• Verb (human sound):

  • He brayed with laughter at his own joke, annoying everyone at the table.
  • The politician brayed his slogans through the megaphone.

• Verb (to crush/grind):

  • You must bray the seeds in a mortar before adding them to the mixture. (Note: "pound" or "grind" are more common in modern usage.)

Advanced Usage

• "to bray about": to proclaim or complain about something in a loud, obnoxious way.
  • He's always braying about his political opinions on social media.

Variants and Related Words

• Brayer (noun): A person or thing that brays. (Rarely used).
• Braying (noun/adjective): The act or sound of braying; making a sound like a bray.
  • The constant braying was unbearable.

Synonyms

• For the animal sound: hee-haw
• For a loud, harsh laugh or voice: roar, guffaw, blare
• For crushing/grinding: pound, pulverize, mash, grind, crush

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Bray out: To utter or proclaim something in a loud, harsh voice.
  • The sergeant brayed out the orders to the new recruits.

Related Idioms

• None commonly associated directly with "bray." The word itself is often used figuratively to criticize an unpleasant, loud voice or laugh.

Noun

1. the cry of an ass

Verb

1. laugh loudly and harshly
2. reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading
   • grind the spices in a mortar
   • mash the garlic
3. braying characteristic of donkeys