Stay | Mean of stay in English Dictionary

/ˈsteɪ/

• Verb
• to continue to be in the same place or with the same person or group for a period of time
1. Please stay in the auditorium.
2. I stayed in my seat until I was dismissed.
3. He decided to stay with the team.
4. I decided to stay in Montreal for a couple more days.
5. We stayed home last night and watched TV.
6. Go to your room and stay there.
7. I'll stay around for a few more minutes.
8. I need a man who will stay around. [=remain in the relationship and not leave suddenly]
9. You can go on ahead. I'll stay behind [=not leave yet] to help clean up.
• to continue to be in a specified state, condition, or position
1. Please stay seated through the entire show.
2. She stayed angry all night.
3. Can you stay awake through the whole show?
4. The guard urged everyone to stay calm.
5. The store will stay open until midnight tonight.
6. We have stayed in touch/contact over the years.
7. He stayed in the game although he was injured.
8. They stayed friends [=continued to be friends] throughout their lives.
• to live in a place as a guest for a short period of time
1. I will be staying in a hotel this weekend.
2. Do you want to stay [=sleep] at my place tonight?
3. I stayed overnight at his house.
4. Is he staying (with us) all week?

• to give a legal order that stops or delays (something)
1. The judge agreed to stay [=halt] the execution.
• to not go near someone or something
1. I know I shouldn't go there, but it's hard to stay away.
2. Stay away from my girlfriend!
3. He usually stays away from [=avoids] large crowds.
4. I try to stay away from [=avoid] caffeine.
• to stay inside or at home instead of going out
1. We went to a movie last night, but tonight we're staying in.
• to avoid (something)
1. She's doing a good job of staying off drugs. [=of not taking drugs]
2. Let's stay off the subject of politics.
• to not go on (something)
1. Please stay off [=keep off] the grass.
• to continue to work at a job
1. She thought about retiring, but she finally decided to stay on for a few more years.
2. After she graduated, she stayed on at the college, working in the alumnae office.
• to continue taking (a medication, drug, etc.)
1. I have to stay on the antibiotics for a full two weeks.
• to avoid going into (a place)
1. They kicked us out of the bar and told us to stay out.
2. I told her to stay out of my room.
• to avoid becoming involved in (something)
1. Please try to stay out of trouble.
2. This is not your business, so stay out of it.
• to spend time away from home
1. She stayed out dancing all night.
• to sleep at another person's house for the night
1. Can she stay over tonight?
• to continue with a process, effort, etc., even though it is difficult
1. We'll succeed in the end if we just stay the course.
• to continue to be awake past the time when you usually go to bed
1. Don't stay up past your bedtime.
2. She stayed up to watch the late movie.
3. I can't stay up that late.
• to continue using or doing (something)
1. Stay with the medication for a couple more days and see if the rash clears up.
2. I know the work is hard, but if you just stay with it for a while longer, it'll be done.
• to go or make progress at the same rate as (someone)
1. The other runners struggled to stay with the leader.
• Noun
• an occasion in which you spend time at a place as a guest or visitor
1. I hope you have a pleasant stay. [=visit]
2. Our stay in the country was a short one.
• a legal order that stops or delays something
1. The court issued a stay of execution. [=an order that temporarily stops an execution]
• a rope or wire that supports a pole, a ship's mast, etc.
1. The men tightened the stays on the circus tent.
• a piece of stiff plastic, bone, etc., that provides shape to a piece of clothing
1. a corset stay
2. a collar stay