1
: a large strong rope usually of wire used to support a mast
2
stayed; staying; stays
1
: to secure upright with or as if with stays
2
: to incline (a mast) forward, aft, or to one side by the stays
: to go about : tack
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
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
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
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
stayed; staying; stays
1
: to provide physical or moral support for : sustain
2
: to fix on something as a foundation
Synonyms
Verb (2)
Noun (2)
Noun (3)
Verb (3)
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024
Experts from the region’s tourism agencies recommend renting a car during your stay.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
Kingstone continues to focus on optimizing its in-force business through its Kingstone 3.0 strategy, which includes reducing non-Core business and adjusting pricing to stay ahead of loss trends.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stay 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
Park City downtown and its many ski hangouts, such as Deer Valley Resort, lie roughly 30 minutes south of your stay.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024
Experts from the region’s tourism agencies recommend renting a car during your stay.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
Next week: Mountain Vista vs. Fairview, TBA No. 7 Fairview beat No. 10 Chatfield, 42-15: Sophomore QB Ki Ellison threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, and Fairview (11-0) claimed its first playoff victory in five years to stay unbeaten on the season.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
Kingstone continues to focus on optimizing its in-force business through its Kingstone 3.0 strategy, which includes reducing non-Core business and adjusting pricing to stay ahead of loss trends.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stay
Dictionary Entries Near stay
Cite this Entry
“Stay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stay. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stay
1 of 6 noun
: 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 verb1
: 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
6
: to last out (as a race)
7
: check entry 2 sense 2, halt
stay an execution
stay
4 of 6 noun1
: 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 noun1
: 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
U.S. Codestay
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
W. J. Brennan, Jr.Love words? Need even more definitions?
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