astray
Americanadverb
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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.
adjective
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out of the correct path or direction
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out of the right, good, or expected way; into error
Etymology
Origin of astray
1250–1300; Middle English astraye < Anglo-French *astraié, Old French estraié, past participle of estraier; see stray
Explanation
If you go astray, you lose the path. If you went to college intending to become a doctor, but instead became interested in making violent video games, your parents might feel you have gone astray. A stray animal is one that has gotten loose, and the adverb astray comes from this sense of wandering off from the proper place, even though it's not just for animals. If you go astray, you lose the right way, or are out of place. It can be a moral judgment: juvenile delinquents are kids who have gone astray. But it can also refer to small details. If you dress impeccably, you make sure that no thread is astray.
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Just as your altruism or kindness can lead you astray, so can other motivations, like greed — participating in a get-rich-quick scam that seems too good to be true.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
In these murmurs, Ullom wonders how much modern technology has led us astray.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Kadyrov made no secret of his support for Bakalchuk and posted several videos on social media saying how Kim had been led astray and that he wanted to help the couple.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
They are decent people who have been led astray.
From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026
When he dreamed of the shadow or so much as thought of it, he felt always that same cold dread: sense and power drained out of him, leaving him stupid and astray.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
