verb
to remain in a place instead of leaving
Please stay here until I come back.
The children stayed inside because it was raining.
Common phrases & grammar
stay home · stay here · stay behind
stay + here/there
stay + at/in + place
American English
How to pronounce stay
verb · nounA2Very common word
STAY
/steɪ/
One syllable.
to remain in a place instead of leaving
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
verb
to live or sleep somewhere for a short time
We stayed at a small hotel near the beach.
Can I stay with you this weekend?
Good to know
For a place, usually use at or in: stay at a hotel, stay in New York. Say stay home without at.
Common phrases & grammar
stay at a hotel · stay with friends · stay for a few nights
stay + at/in + place
stay + with + person
verb
to continue to be in the same condition
Stay calm and take a deep breath.
The door stayed open all night.
Common phrases & grammar
stay calm · stay awake · stay safe · stay healthy
stay + adjective
noun
a period when you live or sleep somewhere temporarily
We had a three-night stay in Chicago.
Your stay includes breakfast.
Common phrases & grammar
short stay · overnight stay · hotel stay
a + adjective + stay
a stay + at/in + place
Useful expressions
to remain awake and not go to bed
I stayed up to finish the report.
to remain away from home, especially at night
We stayed out until midnight.
to remain at home instead of going out
Let's stay in and watch a movie.
Related words & forms
In stayed, y changes to i before -ed.