outstay

[ out-stey ]

See synonyms for: outstay outstayed outstaying outstays on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to stay longer than.
to stay beyond the time or duration of; overstay: to outstay one's welcome.

Origin of outstay

First recorded in 1590–1600; out- + stay¹

Words Nearby outstay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use outstay in a sentence

Theobald could not find an excuse to outstay his colleague, since they were both guests at the same house.
The Daughters of Danaus | Mona Caird
Even funerals and lovers must bow to meal-times, and Jack Meredith was not the man to outstay his welcome.
With Edged Tools | Henry Seton Merriman
He meant to outstay the rest, for he wished to speak with Wetmore alone, and it seemed as though those people would never go.
The Coast of Bohemia | William Dean Howells
I was anxious not to outstay his strength, and I kept my eye on the clock in frequent glances.
Literary Friends And Acquaintances | William Dean Howells
Mommo could easily be made a little sleepier than usual, after being tempted to outstay the others.
Whosoever Shall Offend | F. Marion Crawford

British Dictionary definitions for outstay

outstay

/ (ˌaʊtˈsteɪ) /

verb(tr)

to stay longer than
to stay beyond (a limit)

outstay one's welcome See overstay (def. 4)

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

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