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

More than 10 condo buildings are in development or already open in the city that, like West Eleventh, will offer sleek apartments designed to be easy for owners to rent for short-term stays either occasionally or full-time. —Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024

The prosecutor’s office reimburses for hotel stays and meal costs. —Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 17 Apr. 2024

These additions would attempt to make Disneyland, the company’s original park, one that could, in theory, rival Florida’s Walt Disney World by becoming a resort that could demand multiday stays. —Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024

Doctor describes devastating effects of UnitedHealth cyberattack 02:22 A study published in May 2023 in JAMA Network Open examining the effects of an attack on a health system found that waiting times, median length of stay, and incidents of patients leaving against medical advice all increased. —Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024

Rates vary by property and the discount applies to stays at Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista, Holiday Inn Orlando Disney Springs, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando, and B Resort & Spa. —Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2024

Throughout the year, the Grand Canyon National Park welcomes nearly 5 million visitors annually, with many guests opting to bring along their four-legged friends during their stay. —Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2024

Guests can opt for short-term stays, like a single night or up to a month. —Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

Smith also was seeking an emergency stay at the U.S. Supreme Court. —USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024

Verb

Thomas spent the last few days of his life staying at the hotel, and Smith lived there for a while. —EW.com, 19 Apr. 2024

Giancarlo Esposito knows — people think everyone who is on TV or in the movies is rich, and will always stay that way. —Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024

As a result of the joint efforts between local developers, activists, and Black residents, Halyard Park was able to gain some of its previous Black middle-class residents back, some of whom have owned and stayed at their houses through today. —Eva Wen, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024

Here are suggestions for staying safe during a thunderstorm: • To minimize risk of being struck by lightning, when going outside, have a plan to get to a safer place. —Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024

Once on set, a photo editor stays until the very end of the shoot, even if the shoot goes all day. —Hanya Yanagihara, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024

Against the background of general lack of labor force, the unemployment rate in Ukraine stays at the pre-war level though, according to the state employment service. —Yulia Drozd, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024

Young children stay inside so they do not get lost in the chaos of the displacement camps. —Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024

In her most recent update, Owens shared that Zeus’ stay at the vet would be extended. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024

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

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