Affrayed

/əˈfreɪd/ adjective

Definition

Frightened, alarmed, or disturbed by fear; feeling sudden fright or terror.

Etymology

Past participle of 'affray' in its original sense meaning 'to frighten.' From Old French 'affrayer,' this adjective preserves the earlier meaning of the verb before it specialized into meaning a physical fight.

Kelly Says

Shakespeare often used 'affrayed' to describe characters startled by ghosts or bad omens—it captures not just fear but the sudden shock of being frightened unexpectedly, which is why it appears so often in supernatural scenes.

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