American English pronunciation
How to pronounce stay
IPA transcription: [s'teɪ]
Hear “stay” pronounced
[s'teɪ]
Quality: 1.00
[s'teɪ]
Quality: 1.00
[s'teɪ]
Quality: 1.00
Noun
-
the state of inactivity following an interruption
“the negotiations were in arrest”
“held them in check”
“during the halt he got some lunch”
“the momentary stay enabled him to escape the blow”
“he spent the entire stop in his seat”
-
continuing or remaining in a place or state
“they had a nice stay in Paris”
“a lengthy hospital stay”
“a four-month stay in bankruptcy court”
-
a judicial order forbidding some action until an event occurs or the order is lifted
“the Supreme Court has the power to stay an injunction pending an appeal to the whole Court”
-
a thin strip of metal or bone that is used to stiffen a garment (e.g. a corset)
-
(nautical) brace consisting of a heavy rope or wire cable used as a support for a mast or spar
Verb
-
stay the same; remain in a certain state
“The dress remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it”
“rest assured”
“stay alone”
“He remained unmoved by her tears”
“The bad weather continued for another week”
-
continue in a place, position, or situation
“After graduation, she stayed on in Cambridge as a student adviser”
“Stay with me, please”
“despite student protests, he remained Dean for another year”
“She continued as deputy mayor for another year”
-
stay put (in a certain place)
“We are staying in Detroit; we are not moving to Cincinnati”
“Stay put in the corner here!”
“Stick around and you will learn something!”
-
dwell
“You can stay with me while you are in town”
“stay a bit longer--the day is still young”
-
stay behind
“The smell stayed in the room”
“The hostility remained long after they made up”
-
remain behind
“I had to stay at home and watch the children”
-
stop or halt
“Please stay the bloodshed!”
-
overcome or allay
“quell my hunger”
-
hang on during a trial of endurance
“ride out the storm”
-
stop a judicial process
“The judge stayed the execution order”
-
fasten with stays
Usage examples
- You have come to stay a spell, haven't you?
- He stayed in the army serving in the quartermaster's department.
- Windy and Carl have been a mainstay of the various Terrastock music festivals.
- Sunburn can be avoided by applying sunscreen or by staying in the shadows.
- Sunburn can be avoided by applying sunscreen or by staying in the shadows.
- The brothers parted in Nairobi, where Henry was to stay for a while.
- He stayed with the surgeon John Estlin and his abolitionist daughter Mary Estlin.
- She set it on the shelf, and there it stayed.
- She stayed with the company for two full seasons.
- He decided to stay right there and await his return.