staycation
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of staycation
First recorded in 1940–45; stay 1 + (va)cation
Explanation
A staycation is relaxing at home or in your own town over a break from work or school. If it's too expensive — or stressful — to go on a long road trip or fly somewhere and stay in hotels, your family might choose to staycation instead. The word staycation is a blend of stay and the last part of vacation. It’s a vacation where you stay at home. You might just hang around the house reading a good book or playing games. Or you might visit local sites that you never seem to have the time to go to — like the zoo, an amusement park, or a museum. Staycations can be a lot of fun, and relaxing, too, because you can avoid travel headaches (like flight delays) and sleep in your own bed every night.
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.
See Examples For:
In April, her family will take a staycation in their hometown of Las Vegas, instead of a planned road trip to Yosemite National Park.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 28, 2026
Aquaventure Waterpark at the high-end Atlantis hotel on Dubai’s Palm, a man-made archipelago, offered complimentary tickets to residents and visitors while other hotels promoted lavish staycation packages with dining and spa options.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
I hope these suggestions help you plan your relaxing staycation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025
Similar findings were issued against Booking.com and hotel group Accor, while staycation chain Butlins was criticised for changing the deadline of a sale it promoted via email.
From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2025
Later this month my family is going on a quick staycation at Wyndham Hotel, booked entirely with my generous friend’s points she offered us, since they are due to expire at the end of June.
From Salon ● May 28, 2025
For that half of the population, staycations are a way to save on dining out, entertainment and driving, the survey showed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
On a sunny Wednesday in Skegness, we asked holidaymakers what kept them drawn to staycations at the seaside.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2025
From comforting foods to cozy staycations, here’s the latest on local things to do.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 25, 2024
They named their five daughters after spiritual or Biblical references — Liberty, Glory, Grace, Justice and Faith — and the family often returns to Celebration for dinners, staycations and family walks.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2023
Ideally for the Houstons and hoteliers, Southern California residents might even decide to turn downtown visits into staycations that last a couple of nights because they are entertained, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2023
Definitions 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.
