astray

[ uh-strey ]

/ əˈstreɪ /

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See synonyms for astray on Thesaurus.com

adverb, adjective

out of the right way; off the correct or known road, path, or route: Despite specific instructions, they went astray and got lost.

away from that which is right; into error, confusion, or undesirable action or thought: They were led astray by their lust for money.

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Origin of astray

1250–1300; Middle English astraye<Anglo-French *astraié,Old French estraié, past participle of estraier;see stray

Words nearby astray

astrakhan, astral, astral body, Astrangia, astraphobia, astray, Streetcar Named Desire, A, astrict, astriction, Astrid, astride

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use astray in a sentence

He said Stewart, who had never received a federal contract before, was led astray by an unnamed third party who had promised the goods and then failed to deliver.
Contractor admits he lied to get nearly $40 million in N95 contracts from federal government|Rachel Weiner|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
For instance, an operator can click on a specific location and Spot will travel to it, using its onboard sensors to ensure that it doesn’t tip over or go astray along the way.
Boston Dynamics gave its dog-like robot a charging dock and an arm on its head|Stan Horaczek|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science
It is also less likely than other state-of-the-art image recognition models to be led astray by adversarial examples, which have been subtly altered in ways that typically confuse algorithms even though humans might not notice a difference.
This avocado armchair could be the future of AI|Will Heaven|January 5, 2021|MIT Technology Review
You know, so many times people have been led astray or disappointed.
Voters Approved a Much Tougher Police Oversight Board – Now What?|Sara Libby|November 5, 2020|Voice of San Diego

You can make mistakes or go astray for a while, but that doesn’t matter in the long run.
A Scientist Who Delights in the Mundane|Steve Nadis|October 26, 2020|Quanta Magazine
But sometimes, the quest for facts lets us down, or leads us astray, and leaves us worse off than before, not better.
On Torture, Chuck Johnson & Sondheim|James Poulos|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Certainly, other communities—ultra-Orthodox Jews, for example—are fretting about members who go online, and then astray.
God vs. the Internet. And the Winner is…|Michael Schulson|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The spokeswoman suggests that the girls had not been radicalized, only led astray.
How ISIS’s Colorado Girls Were Caught|Michael Daly|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Percy Heath, a merry fellow, specialized in leading the Reverend Professor Doctor astray and had a lot of fun with him.
The Stacks: H.L. Mencken on the 1904 Baltimore Fire|H.L. Mencken|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Israelis have not yet confirmed that these were their shells, and have raised the possibility that a Hamas rocket went astray.
Inside the Gaza Schoolyard Massacre|Jesse Rosenfeld|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many shall come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and shall lead many astray.
His Last Week|William E. Barton
And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.
His Last Week|William E. Barton
Directors sometimes go astray and cases are constantly arising to determine their liability.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
A repair to the car delayed us and we went several miles astray on the road.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
For as it was your mind to go astray from God; so when you return again you shall seek him ten times as much.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for astray

astray

/ (əˈstreɪ) /

adjective, adverb (postpositive)

out of the correct path or direction

out of the right, good, or expected way; into error

Word Origin for astray

C13: from Old French estraie roaming, from estraier to stray

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with astray

astray

see best-laid plans go astray; go astray.

astray

Origin of astray

Words nearby astray

Words related to astray

How to use astray in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for astray

Word Origin for astray

Other Idioms and Phrases with astray