Definition of 'stay'

Noun

1. 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"
2. 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"
3. 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"
      Synonyms: arrest check halt hitch stop stoppage
4. (nautical) brace consisting of a heavy rope or wire cable used as a support for a mast or spar
5. a thin strip of metal or bone that is used to stiffen a garment (e.g. a corset)

Verb

1. 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"
      Synonyms: remain rest
      Antonyms: change
2. 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!"
      Synonyms: stick stick around stay put
      Antonyms: move
3. dwell; "You can stay with me while you are in town"; "stay a bit longer--the day is still young"
      Synonyms: bide abide
4. 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"
      Synonyms: stay on continue remain
5. remain behind; "I had to stay at home and watch the children"
      Antonyms: depart take leave quit
6. stop or halt; "Please stay the bloodshed!"
      Synonyms: detain delay
7. stay behind; "The smell stayed in the room"; "The hostility remained long after they made up"
      Synonyms: persist remain
8. hang on during a trial of endurance; "ride out the storm"
      Synonyms: last out ride out outride
9. stop a judicial process; "The judge stayed the execution order"
10. fasten with stays
11. overcome or allay; "quell my hunger"
       Synonyms: quell appease

---

Get this dictionary without ads as part of the e-Tutor Virtual Learning Program.