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

Tubbs’s mother, a tender-hearted woman given to long spells of depression, had a soft spot for strays. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Detective Robert Karrol, a 20-year NYPD veteran and father of three, was struck in the back of his ballistic vest with a projectile from a stray shot, police sources said. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026

Verb

Close to half of Americans believe the country has strayed significantly from the nation's founding principles. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 1 July 2026

Finally, the report argues that Yale has strayed from its focus on rigor and academic excellence. — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026

Adjective

For comparison, the organization typically takes in an average of 40 to 60 stray pets per day, according to Thompson. — Madeleine Kashkooli, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2026

Researchers also measured static electric fields by observing how stray fields displaced the ion from its resting position. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 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