I will not stay thy questions β¦βπ Image William Shakespeare
2
: to stick or remain with (a race, a trial of endurance, etc.) to the endβusually used in the phrase stay the course
3
: to remain during
stayed the whole time
4
a
: to stop or delay the progress or advance of by or as if by interposing an obstacle : halt, restrain
"What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature, when he had a chance!" "Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand."βπ Image J. R. R. Tolkien
b
: to check the course of (something, such as a disease)
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
Verb (2)
let's stay inside this pavilion until it stops raining stay the trial until this new evidence has been processed
we'll stay for a while longer and see if anyone shows up
let's stay at a quaint inn rather than at some generic motel Noun (2)
my mother-in-law is coming for a brief stay next week
we must work without stay if we are ever to reach our goal of equal rights for everyone Noun (3)
a free press is one of the principal stays of a democratic society Verb (3)
beams being used to stay the bridge while it is undergoing repairs
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Noun
Caught on camera During that inpatient stay, hospital staff members observed the child eating multiple full meals by mouth.βπ Image Maya Rosenberg, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026 Fifteen rooms with beds opened near Gate D15 in the north terminal, with prices ranging from $40 for one hour to $245 for an overnight stay.βπ Image Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
At the time, advocates told WCCO the approach focuses on harm reduction and helping both communities and users stay safer while working toward recovery.βπ Image Ashley Grams, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026 Yeah, just got to stay focused, stay ready, and go help the team win.βπ Image Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stay
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 β 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 β more at stake
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
