1
: a large strong rope usually of wire used to support a mast
2
stayed; staying; stays
1
: to secure upright with or as if with stays
2
: to incline (a mast) forward, aft, or to one side by the stays
: to go about : tack
1
: to stop going forward : pause
2
: to stop doing something : cease
3
: to continue in a place or condition : remain
stayed up all night
went for a short vacation but stayed on for weeks
stay put till I come back
4
: to stand firm
5
: to take up residence : lodge
6
: to keep even in a contest or rivalry
stay with the leaders
7
: to call a poker bet without raising
8
obsolete
: to be in waiting or attendance
1
: to wait for : await
2
: to stick or remain with (a race, a trial of endurance, etc.) to the end
—usually used in the phrase stay the course
3
: to remain during
stayed the whole time
1
a
: the action of halting : the state of being stopped
b
: a stopping or suspension of procedure or execution by judicial or executive order
2
obsolete
: self-control, moderation
3
: a residence or sojourn in a place
4
: capacity for endurance
1
: one that serves as a prop : support
2
: a thin firm strip (as of plastic) used for stiffening a garment or part (such as a shirt collar)
3
: a corset stiffened with bones
—usually used in plural
stayed; staying; stays
1
: to provide physical or moral support for : sustain
2
: to fix on something as a foundation
Examples of stay in a Sentence
Verb (2)
let's stay inside this pavilion until it stops raining
stay the trial until this new evidence has been processed
we'll stay for a while longer and see if anyone shows up
let's stay at a quaint inn rather than at some generic motel
Noun (2)
my mother-in-law is coming for a brief stay next week
we must work without stay if we are ever to reach our goal of equal rights for everyone
Noun (3)
a free press is one of the principal stays of a democratic society
Verb (3)
beams being used to stay the bridge while it is undergoing repairs
Recent Examples on the Web
Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 19 May 2025
The decision, issued Friday, followed the Trump administration's request for an emergency stay of a lower court ruling that had blocked the order's enforcement across more than 30 federal agencies and departments.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 23 May 2025
For SMEs working toward being nature positive, success depends on having a clear purpose, setting measurable goals, and staying flexible as strategies evolve.
—Claire Poole, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stay
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In the Monday order, Rogers said that after 12 days, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has still not granted Apple a stay of the injunction.
—Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 19 May 2025
The decision, issued Friday, followed the Trump administration's request for an emergency stay of a lower court ruling that had blocked the order's enforcement across more than 30 federal agencies and departments.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Verb
Americans are living longer, staying healthier, and working in less physically demanding jobs.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 23 May 2025
For SMEs working toward being nature positive, success depends on having a clear purpose, setting measurable goals, and staying flexible as strategies evolve.
—Claire Poole, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stay
Cite this Entry
“Stay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stay. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stay
1 of 6 noun
: a strong rope or wire used to steady or brace something (as a mast)
stay
2 of 6 verb
: to fasten (as a smokestack) with stays
stay
3 of 6 verb1
: to stop going forward : pause
2
: to continue in a place or condition : remain
stayed at home
3
: to stand firm
4
: to take up residence : lodge
stayed in a hotel
6
: to last out (as a race)
7
: check entry 2 sense 2, halt
stay an execution
stay
4 of 6 noun1
: the action of halting : the state of being stopped
2
: a stopping of a procedure by court or executive order
3
: a residence or visit in a place
stay
5 of 6 noun1
: something that serves as a prop : support
2
: a thin firm strip (as of plastic) used for stiffening a garment (as a corset) or part (as a shirt collar)
stay
6 of 6 verb
: to provide support for
Etymology
Noun
Old English stæg "a strong rope used to steady or support something"
Verb
Middle English stayen "to stop going forward," from early French ester "to stand, stay," from Latin stare "to stand"
Noun
from early French estaie "a support, prop"; of Germanic origin
Legal Definition
stay
1 of 2 transitive verb
stayed; staying
: to temporarily suspend or prevent by judicial or executive order
may not grant an injunction to stay proceedings in a State court—U.S. Code
U.S. Codestay
2 of 2 noun
: a temporary suspension or injunction of an action or process by a usually discretionary judicial or executive order
a stay of execution of the judgment
stay of a lower court's judgment pending certiorari—W. J. Brennan, Jr.
see also automatic stay compare cease-and-desist order at order sense 3b, mandamus, supersedeas
W. J. Brennan, Jr.Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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