stray

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈstrā 

1

a

: a domestic animal that is wandering at large or is lost

b

: a person or thing that strays

2

[Middle English, from straien to stray] archaic : the act of going astray

stray

2 of 4

verb

strayed; straying; strays

intransitive verb

: wander: such as

a

: to wander from company, restraint, or proper limits

a cow straying into the woods

He strayed from the group and got lost.

—often used figuratively

The menu at the restaurant never strays far from traditional dishes.

b

: to roam about without fixed direction or purpose

c

: to move in a winding course : meander

d

: to move without conscious or intentional effort

eyes straying absently around the room

e

: to become distracted from an argument or train of thought

strayed from the point

f

: to wander accidentally from a fixed or chosen route

g

: err, sin

strayer noun

stray

3 of 4

adjective

1

: having strayed or escaped from a proper or intended place

a stray dog

2

: occurring at random or sporadically

stray thoughts

3

: not serving any useful purpose : unwanted

stray light

strayer

4 of 4

noun (2)

stray·​er

ˈstrāə(r), 

-re(ə)r, 

-reə

plural -s

: one that strays : stray

Synonyms of stray

Verb

• trespass
• wander
• fall

Adjective

• random
• scattered
• arbitrary

Examples of stray in a Sentence

Noun (1)

Both of her cats were strays that she found wandering in the neighborhood.

Verb

The airplane strayed off course.

our straying son swears he's returned to the straight and narrow

Adjective

stray sightings of UFO's, none of which have been rigorously analyzed by scientists

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Luna was a stray for her first year before she was found by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and adopted. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Welcome to a Hump Day Nightcaps — the one where Sydney Sweeney catches a stray from the marketing folks over at Powerade because people weirdly think her naked GAMBLING ads are some sort of shot at women's sports. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Verb

Its collection runs the gamut from traditional engagement rings to sculptural bracelets, delicate earrings, and modern pendants, with an appreciation for unexpected settings and silhouettes that stray from convention. — Camila Quimper, Footwear News, 9 Nov. 2026

Materson’s intricate embroideries stray in their subjects from baseball to outer space, with the most striking blending imagination and documentation. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Adjective

Where the stray porker came from, nobody knows, said IVHS Humane and Animal Control Manager Favi Leon. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026

In our chemical soup, that possibility comes from a stray molecule C, which like a mutation tips a bubble into a different molecular loop. — Perri Thaler, Quanta Magazine, 10 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French estraié, past participle of estraier

Verb

Middle English straien, from Anglo-French estraier, from Vulgar Latin *extravagare, from Latin extra- outside + vagari to wander — more at extra-

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stray

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

Kids Definition

stray

1 of 3 noun

ˈstrā 

1

: a domestic animal that is wandering loose or is lost

2

: a person or thing that strays

stray

2 of 3 verb

1

: to wander from a group or from the proper place : roam

the dog strayed from the yard

2

: to wander from a fixed or chosen route or at random

accidentally strayed off the path

3

: to become distracted from an argument or chain of thought

strayed from the point

strayer noun

stray

3 of 3 adjective

1

: having strayed or been lost

a stray dog

2

: occurring in one place and another or at random

a few stray hairs