stay

[ stey ]

/ steɪ /

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See synonyms for: stay / staid / stayed / staying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), stayed or staid, stay·ing.

to spend some time in a place, in a situation, with a person or group, etc.: He stayed in the army for ten years.

to continue to be as specified, as to condition or state: to stay clean.

to hold out or endure, as in a contest or task (followed by with or at): Please stay with the project as long as you can.

to keep up, as with a competitor (followed by with).

Poker. to continue in a hand by matching an ante, bet, or raise.

to stop or halt.

to pause or wait, as for a moment, before proceeding or continuing; linger or tarry.

Archaic. to cease or desist.

Archaic. to stand firm.

verb (used with object), stayed or staid, stay·ing.

to stop or halt.

to hold back, detain, or restrain, as from going further.

to suspend or delay (actions, proceedings, etc.).

to appease or satisfy temporarily the cravings of (the stomach, appetite, etc.).

to remain through or during (a period of time): We stayed two days in San Francisco.

to remain to the end of; remain beyond (usually followed by out).

Archaic. to await.

noun

the act of stopping or being stopped.

a stop, halt, or pause; a standstill.

a sojourn or temporary residence: a week's stay in Miami.

Law. a stoppage or arrest of action; suspension of a judicial proceeding: The governor granted a stay of execution.

Informal. staying power; endurance.

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Idioms about stay

stay the course, to persevere; endure to completion.

Origin of stay

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English staien, from Anglo-French estaier, Old French ester, from Latin stāre “to stand, stand up, be standing, stand in attendance”; see origin at stand

Other definitions for stay (2 of 3)

stay²

[ stey ]

/ steɪ /

noun

something used to support or steady a thing; prop; brace.

a flat strip of steel, plastic, etc., used especially for stiffening corsets, collars, etc.

a long rod running between opposite walls, heads or sides of a furnace, boiler, tank, or the like, to strengthen them against internal pressures.

stays, Chiefly British. a corset.

verb (used with object), stayed, stay·ing.

to support, prop, or hold up (sometimes followed by up).

to sustain or strengthen mentally or spiritually.

to rest on (something, as a foundation or base) for support.

to cause something to become fixed or to rest on (a support, foundation, base, etc.)

Origin of stay

First recorded in 1505–15; apparently same as stay³ (compare Old French estayer “to hold in place, support”), or perhaps derivative of Middle English steye “rope to steady a mast”; see stay³

Other definitions for stay (3 of 3)

stay³

[ stey ]

/ steɪ /

Chiefly Nautical

noun

any of various strong ropes or wires for steadying masts, funnels, etc.

verb (used with object), stayed, stay·ing.

to support or secure with a stay or stays: to stay a mast.

to put (a ship) on the other tack.

verb (used without object), stayed, stay·ing.

(of a ship) to change to the other tack.

Origin of stay

First recorded before 1150; Middle English stai, stey(e), Old English stæg; cognate with German Stag, Dutch stag, Old Norse stag

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

How to use stay in a sentence

Before booking a longer stay, customers should be sure to research and compare different properties to find the best one that suits their needs.
What you should consider before working remotely from a vacation destination|Rachel King|November 14, 2020|Fortune
That means it involves smaller incisions than traditional open surgery, which results in less blood loss and pain, fewer complications such as infections, reduced procedure time, shorter hospital stays, and quicker recovery.
Robotic surgery gives doctors new savvy|Jason Sparapani|November 9, 2020|MIT Technology Review
In hard-hit Southwestern Virginia, however, where virus-related hospitalizations are soaring, Ballad Health on Monday paused non-emergency elective procedures that require an overnight stay.
Area hospitals say they are prepared for potential new flood of covid-19 patients|Lola Fadulu|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
Along with their attorneys from Maryland Legal Aid, Jacob and another woman argue that they were illegally evicted because the program did not operate within the bounds of landlord-tenant laws or honor the state-mandated stay on evictions.
Domestic violence survivors say they were kicked out by the housing program that promised to help them|Rachel Chason, Katie Mettler|October 30, 2020|Washington Post

That means any protracted stay in an unventilated indoor space, with other people, is risky even if patrons are spaced out.
A harsh winter is coming for the hospitality sector|David Meyer|October 29, 2020|Fortune
And that gets to the heart of what makes the game so incredible: By staying silent, it turns the player into the game master.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
With women put in front of the public to justify staying with bad men, we see these justifications in full bloom.
Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby?|Amanda Marcotte|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It seems that the deputies asked him to leave, but Saylor insisted on staying, and perhaps physically resisted them.
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some pro-life groups worry that they discourage women from staying pregnant altogether.
States Slap Pregnant Women With Harsher Jail Sentences|Emily Shire|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Every possible outcome—them together, them staying with their existing partners—seems only likely to bring misery.
How Will They End ‘The Affair’? Showtime’s Adultery Drama Defies Predictability|Tim Teeman|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You don't mind staying here in the sunshine, I hope, while my coat dries?
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
He insisted upon my staying a while, and we had the most amusing and entertaining conversation imaginable.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
After we had engaged our rooms, we drove back to the hotel where Liszt was staying, and where we were to dine immediately.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
My companion and I had dined at the Gweedore Hotel, where we were staying for the night.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
His wife was ignorant of the cause of his staying out so long, and suffered greatly from anxiety about his welfare.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various

British Dictionary definitions for stay (1 of 3)

stay¹

/ (steɪ) /

verb

(intr) to continue or remain in a certain place, position, etcto stay outside

(copula) to continue to be; remainto stay awake

(intr often foll by at) to reside temporarily, esp as a guestto stay at a hotel

(tr) to remain for a specified periodto stay the weekend

(intr) Scot and Southern African to reside permanently or habitually; live

archaic to stop or cause to stop

(intr) to wait, pause, or tarry

(tr) to delay or hinder

(tr)

to discontinue or suspend (a judicial proceeding)
to hold in abeyance or restrain from enforcing (an order, decree, etc)

to endure (something testing or difficult, such as a race)a horse that stays the course

(intr; usually foll by with) to keep pace (with a competitor in a race, etc)

(intr) poker to raise one's stakes enough to stay in a round

(tr) to hold back or restrainto stay one's anger

(tr) to satisfy or appease (an appetite, etc) temporarily

(tr) archaic to quell or suppress

(intr) archaic to stand firm

stay put See put (def. 18)

noun

the act of staying or sojourning in a place or the period during which one stays

the act of stopping or restraining or state of being stopped, etc

the suspension of a judicial proceeding, etcstay of execution

Word Origin for stay

C15 staien, from Anglo-French estaier, to stay, from Old French ester to stay, from Latin stāre to stand

British Dictionary definitions for stay (2 of 3)

stay²

/ (steɪ) /

noun

anything that supports or steadies, such as a prop or buttress

a thin strip of metal, plastic, bone, etc, used to stiffen corsets, etc

verb (tr) archaic

(often foll by up) to prop or hold

(often foll by up) to comfort or sustain

(foll by on or upon) to cause to rely or depend

Word Origin for stay

C16: from Old French estaye, of Germanic origin; compare stay ³

British Dictionary definitions for stay (3 of 3)

stay³

/ (steɪ) /

noun

a rope, cable, or chain, usually one of a set, used for bracing uprights, such as masts, funnels, flagpoles, chimneys, etc; guySee also stays (def. 2), stays (def. 3)

Word Origin for stay

Old English stæg; related to Old Norse stag, Middle Low German stach, Norwegian stagle wooden post

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 stay

stay

In addition to the idioms beginning with stay

staying power
stay over
stay put
stay the course
stay with

also see:

here to stay
(stay) in touch
(stay on one's) right side
should have stood (stayed) in bed
stick (stay) with

stay

Idioms about stay

Origin of stay

Other definitions for stay (2 of 3)

Origin of stay

Other definitions for stay (3 of 3)

Origin of stay

Words related to stay

How to use stay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stay (1 of 3)

Word Origin for stay

British Dictionary definitions for stay (2 of 3)

Word Origin for stay

British Dictionary definitions for stay (3 of 3)

Word Origin for stay

Other Idioms and Phrases with stay