stray

1 of 3

noun

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 3

verb

strayed; straying; strays

intransitive verb

: wander: such as

a

: to wander from company, restraint, or proper limits

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 3

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

Synonyms

Verb

• trespass
• wander
• fall

Adjective

• random
• scattered
• arbitrary

Examples of stray in a Sentence

Noun

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

Female dogs that do survive are often not cared for, becoming strays or going to live with wolves. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 Aug. 2025

If you’re already acquainted with the Bananas spectacle, consider this an itemized reminder, as well as an open space for stray Lucille Bluth quotes. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025

Verb

Fans say the characters have strayed too far from their original selves (despite the once 30-somethings now being in their 50s), the plot is inconsistent, and overall, the spinoff relies far too heavily on nostalgia. —Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2025

The state agency strayed from federal guidelines in 2014, when the U.S. government changed its rules regarding the reimbursements. —Jeffrey S. Solochek, Sun Sentinel, 31 July 2025

Adjective

Rylee Love, 6, was killed by a stray bullet on July 27, exactly one month after Samir Josiah Grubbs, 4, was gunned down at Skinner Playfield. —Andrea May Sahouri, Freep.com, 2 Aug. 2025

Hotter and drier conditions in North American forests mean that there is more dry wood and underbrush that can easily be ignited by a stray campfire spark or a lightning strike. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

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