stay

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈstā 

1

: a large strong rope usually of wire used to support a mast

2

: guy entry 2

stay

2 of 6

verb (1)

stayed; staying; stays

transitive verb

1

: to secure upright with or as if with stays

2

: to incline (a mast) forward, aft, or to one side by the stays

intransitive verb

: to go about : tack

stay

3 of 6

verb (2)

stayed ˈstād  also staid ˈstād  ; staying

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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

4

a

: to stop or delay the proceeding or advance of by or as if by interposing an obstacle : halt

b

: to check the course of (something, such as a disease)

c

: allay, pacify

stayed tempers

d

: to quiet the hunger of temporarily

stay

4 of 6

noun (2)

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

stay

5 of 6

noun (3)

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

stay

6 of 6

verb (3)

stayed; staying; stays

transitive verb

1

: to provide physical or moral support for : sustain

2

: to fix on something as a foundation

Synonyms

Verb (2)

• abide
• dwell
• hang around
• remain
• stick around
• tarry

Noun (2)

• sojourn
• tarry
• visit

Noun (3)

• brace
• buttress
• mount
• mounting
• prop
• reinforcement
• shore
• spur
• support
• underpinning

Verb (3)

• bear
• bolster
• brace
• buttress
• carry
• prop (up)
• shore (up)
• support
• sustain
• undergird
• underpin
• uphold

Choose the Right Synonym for stay

defer, postpone, suspend, stay mean to delay an action or proceeding.

defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time.

deferred buying a car until spring

postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time.

the game is postponed until Saturday

suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied.

business will be suspended while repairs are underway

stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority.

the governor stayed the execution

Examples of stay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In a confessional interview, a female participant cringes while reacting to the conditions of their stay. —Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023

Travelers can also book specialty spa and barber services during their stay. —Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2023

Their stay was extended from six months to a year when the capsule developed a coolant leak while parked at the station. —Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Sep. 2023

Vande Hei’s stay was also longer than originally intended—when Russia sent two people to the ISS to film a movie, the additional space station traffic delayed Vande Hei’s departure, writes CNN. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023

Burn patients typically spend eight days in hospitals, a stay that exceeds $24,000 in costs, according to the company. —Paul O'Donnell, Dallas News, 12 Sep. 2023

They may also be offered an overnight stay at the golf club, according to one of the people familiar with the planning. —Stephanie Lai, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023

The company revealed its 2025 lineup with three trips, including stays at two of its most famous on-screen destinations. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2023

During Cathy’s hospital stay, doctors conducted COVID-19 and RSV tests, both of which yielded negative results. —Sandra Rose Salathe, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023

Verb

Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Skies may stay rather cloudy, although some peeks of stars seem a good bet. —Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2023

But others stayed, waiting for months in Dallas for the Kennedys to return. —Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, 23 Sep. 2023

Then In 2018, Jennifer Aniston stayed at the property while filming her comedy Murder Mystery. —David Chiu, Peoplemag, 23 Sep. 2023

The tradition started in the 1970s — shopkeepers would stay open later in the evening so locals wouldn't have to travel to Cape Cod to buy gifts. —Katrina Brown Hunt, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2023

Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg via Getty Images Many parks stayed open during a shutdown in 2018 and 2019, but with fewer visitor services, such as trash collection and access to restrooms. —Melissa Quinn, Kathryn Watson, Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2023

Seduced by the easy access to nature and relative affordability, many return for longer stays or even for good. —Jessica Battilana Richard Pedaline, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023

The couple — who is not married and had previously vowed to stay celibate out of respect of Mary’s grandparents — broke tradition by trying for a baby. —Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 19 Sep. 2023

Read full article Get The Big To-Do Your guide to staying entertained, from live shows and outdoor fun to the newest in museums, movies, TV, books, dining, and more. —Chris Vognar, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English stæg; akin to Old Norse stag stay

Verb (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French estei-, estai-, stem of ester to stand, stay, from Latin stare — more at stand

Noun (3)

Middle English, from Middle French estaie, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch stake pole, Middle Low German stak post, stake pole — more at stake

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1627, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (3)

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stay

• are/keep/stay one jump ahead
• here to stay
• be/stay holed up
• keep/stay cool
• get/stay/keep out of someone's/the way
• keep/stay out of trouble
• keep/stay mum
• short-stay
• keep/stay apace with
• keep/stay on her boss's good side
• stay home
• stay friends
• stay behind
• stay-at-home
• spend/stay the night
• stay away
• stay/keep in practice
• stay/keep ahead of the field
• stay out of (something)
• stay over
• stay the night
• stay the course
• stay up
• stay with
• stay woke
• stay put
• stay on
• stay in
• stay tuned
• stay off
• stay of execution
• stay out

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• are/keep/stay one jump ahead
• here to stay
• be/stay holed up
• keep/stay cool
• get/stay/keep out of someone's/the way
• keep/stay out of trouble
• keep/stay mum
• short-stay
• keep/stay apace with
• keep/stay on her boss's good side
• stay home
• stay friends
• stay behind
• stay-at-home
• spend/stay the night
• stay away
• stay/keep in practice
• stay/keep ahead of the field
• stay out of (something)
• stay over
• stay the night
• stay the course
• stay up
• stay with
• stay woke
• stay put
• stay on
• stay in
• stay tuned
• stay off
• stay of execution
• stay out

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Kids Definition

stay

1 of 6 noun

ˈstā 

: 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 verb

1

: 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

5

: wait entry 1 sense 1a

6

: to last out (as a race)

7

: check entry 2 sense 2, halt

stay an execution

stay

4 of 6 noun

1

: 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 noun

1

: 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

stay

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