Pronunciation: /əˈfreɪz/

Definitions of affrays

noun a noisy argument or fight

Example Sentences

A1 I heard there was an affray at the park yesterday.

A2 The police were called to break up the affray between two groups of teenagers.

B1 The bar fight escalated into a full-blown affray, resulting in several arrests.

B2 The city council is taking measures to prevent affrays from occurring in public spaces.

C1 The lawyer argued that the defendant was acting in self-defense during the affray.

C2 The media coverage of the affray sparked a national debate on violence in society.

verb to engage in a noisy argument or fight

Example Sentences

A1 I affrayed my little sister when I jumped out and scared her.

A2 The loud noise affrayed the birds, causing them to fly away in fear.

B1 The unexpected news affrayed the employees, leading to a sense of uncertainty in the office.

B2 The sudden change in policy affrayed the investors, causing a drop in the stock prices.

C1 The looming threat of war affrayed the citizens, prompting them to seek refuge in neighboring countries.

C2 The scandalous revelations affrayed the political establishment, leading to widespread protests and calls for reform.

Examples of affrays in a Sentence

formal The police were called to the scene of multiple affrays in the downtown area.

informal There were a bunch of affrays happening at the party last night.

slang Things got pretty heated and turned into affrays at the bar.

figurative The conflict between the two countries escalated into affrays on the international stage.

Grammatical Forms of affrays

past tense

affrayed

plural

affrays

comparative

more affray

superlative

most affray

present tense

affrays

future tense

will affray

perfect tense

have affrayed

continuous tense

is affraying

singular

affray

positive degree

affray

infinitive

to affray

gerund

affraying

participle

affrayed

Origin and Evolution of affrays

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Middle English, Old French
Story behind the word: The word 'affrays' originated from Middle English, derived from the Old French word 'esfreer' meaning to disturb or frighten.
Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe disturbances or frightful situations, the word 'affrays' evolved over time to specifically refer to public disturbances or fights, often involving a group of people. The legal definition of the term also became more refined, referring to a violent public disturbance that causes fear or alarm.