defray
de·fray/dɪˈfɹeɪ/verb
defray is spelled D-E-F-R-A-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables (de·fray). It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 60,838th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, defray means “To pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in defray?
| Letters | 6: D-E-F-R-A-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: de·fray |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 60,838th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is defray?
Defray appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 60,838th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce defray?
- US /dɪˈfɹeɪ/
- Australia /dɪˈfɹæɪ/
Defray has 2 syllables, split de·fray in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-defray.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with defray?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as defray from its last stressed vowel (/eɪ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: frayed.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of defray
- defrays present, singular, he/she/it
- defraying participle, present
- defrayed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does defray mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something).
- 2
archaicTo pay for (something).
- 3
obsoleteTo spend (money).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Defray in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something):
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does defray come from?
From Middle French desfrayer, French défrayer, from dé- + Old French fraier (“to spend”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).