INDEX:
1. to stay in a place and not leave it
2. to stay in the same job, school etc and not leave it
3. to stay somewhere a little longer
4. to stay somewhere too long
5. to stay in someone’s house or at a hotel
6. someone who is staying in a hotel or someone’s house
7. a place where you can stay for a short period of time
8. to let someone stay in your home
9. the time when you stay somewhere
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ LEAVE
to be left after others have gone : ↑ REMAIN
see also
↑ VISIT
↑ TRAVEL
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1. to stay in a place and not leave it
▷ stay /steɪ/ [intransitive verb]
▪ Stay where you are and don’t move.
▪ I’m coming too. I’m not staying here on my own.
▪ Neighbors keep to themselves around here, they stay inside.
stay with
▪ He stayed with the baby until she fell asleep.
stay (for) 3 hours/two days/a while etc
▪ John only stayed at the party for a couple of hours.
▪ Don’t go so soon -- can’t you stay just a little longer?
stay for dinner/a drink/a game of cards etc
▪ You’re welcome to stay for lunch, you know.
▪ Are you staying for a drink, or do you have to go?
stay to dinner/tea etc
▪ Mom always seated me next to him whenever he stayed to supper.
stay to do something
▪ Are you staying to watch the game?
stay behind
stay in a place after other people have left
▪ He stayed behind after class to ask the teacher a few questions.
▷ remain /rɪˈmeɪn/ [intransitive verb not usually in progressive] formal
to stay :
▪ Some 2,000 students, lecturers and university workers remained inside, refusing to leave.
▪ He was determined to remain out west until he had made his fortune.
remain at/in
▪ The judge ruled that Borkin should remain in jail until his case is heard.
▪ He had finished, but he remained at the microphone for a few minutes, gazing at the audience.
remain with
▪ The children will remain with their mother.
remain behind
to stay in a place after other people have left
▪ The others were dismissed, but Harwood was asked to remain behind.
▷ stay put /ˌsteɪ ˈpʊt/ [verb phrase]
to stay in the same place and not try to move from there :
▪ He won’t stay put long enough for me to take his photo.
▪ I’ve decided to stay put until after Christmas, but after that I want to start looking for a new apartment.
▷ sit tight /ˌsɪt ˈtaɪt/ [verb phrase]
to stay in the same place and wait until a difficult or dangerous situation has ended before moving :
▪ You sit tight while I go and get some help.
▷ stay in also stop in British /ˌsteɪ ˈɪn, ˌstɒp ˈɪnǁˌstɑːp/ [intransitive phrasal verb] informal
to stay in your house and not go out, especially in the evening, instead of going out to enjoy yourself :
▪ I’ve got to stay in and look after my sister on Friday night.
▪ So, are you going out or stopping in tonight?
▷ stick around /ˌstɪk əˈraʊnd/ [intransitive phrasal verb] informal
to stay in the same place for a short time, especially because you are waiting for someone, or expecting something to happen :
▪ If you don’t feel like sticking around here, we could find a place to get some coffee.
stick around for ten minutes/a while etc
▪ Do you guys want to stick around for a while?
▷ stop /stɒpǁstɑːp/ [intransitive verb] British informal
to stay somewhere for a short time, especially at someone’s house :
▪ I’m not stopping, I’ve just popped in to pick up some books.
stop for tea/a chat/a cup of coffee etc
▪ Why don’t you stop for lunch -- there’s loads of food.
2. to stay in the same job, school etc and not leave it
▷ stay /steɪ/ [intransitive verb]
to continue to stay in the same job, school etc and not leave it :
▪ Do you think she’d stay if we offered her a raise?
stay at/with
▪ I’ve stayed at the same company for seven years, and I’d like to stick around for a while longer.
▪ I didn’t want to stay with Jordan’s all my life -- I wanted a real career, one with a future.
stay (on) at school
continue to go to school British
▪ Most students stay at school until they are 16 or 17.
stay in school
American continue to go to school
▪ We’re trying to persuade our daughter to stay in school for another year.
stay in
▪ Alice has never stayed in the same job for more than a year.
▷ stay on /ˌsteɪ ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to stay in a job, school etc for a longer time than you had planned, or after other people have left :
▪ Alvin came here initially as a session musician, but he stayed on.
▪ There was little encouragement for those over 65 to stay on after retirement.
stay on at school/university/college etc
▪ He stayed on at college for an extra year to do a Master’s degree.
▪ Forty-four per cent of fifth formers now choose to stay on at school.
stay on to do something
▪ He entered University College to study zoology and stayed on to work in genetics.
▷ remain /rɪˈmeɪn/ [intransitive verb not in progressive] formal
to stay in the same job, school etc and not leave it :
remain at/in/with
▪ He’s decided to remain in his present job for the time being.
▪ Williams was offered $200,000 to remain with the Defense Department.
remain as
▪ Sir Rocco Forte will remain as chief executive of the UK hotels company.
▷ stay put /ˌsteɪ ˈpʊt/ [verb phrase]
to stay in the same job, school etc, especially because you have to and not because you want to :
▪ If you stay put, you’ll be even more miserable in a year’s time.
3. to stay somewhere a little longer
▷ stay on /ˌsteɪ ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to stay somewhere after other people have gone, or after you expected to leave :
▪ The others went back to the hotel, but I stayed on in the bar, chatting to Alan.
▪ It’s okay, I’ll stay on until you’re ready to leave.
▪ About 40 members of the audience stayed on after the performance for a glass of wine.
stay on to do something
▪ I’ll be late home -- I’m staying on to help organize the exhibition.
▷ stay late /ˌsteɪ ˈleɪt/ [verb phrase]
to stay somewhere after other people have gone, often because you have work to do :
▪ Employees regularly stay late to complete tasks, but they are not paid overtime.
▪ In those days, teachers enjoyed running reading clubs, and stayed late after the bell to do so.
▷ stay (in) after school /ˌsteɪ (ɪn) ɑːftəʳ ˈskuːlǁ-ˌæf-/ [verb phrase]
if a student has to stay after school, they have to stay at the school for a short period of time after the other students have left, usually as a punishment :
▪ If Sean failed to complete any of his classwork assignments, he had to stay after school until they were finished.
▷ linger /ˈlɪŋgəʳ/ [intransitive verb]
to stay in a place a little longer, either because you are hoping to see someone, or because you are enjoying yourself :
▪ Jack lingered for a while in the hall, hoping to get the chance to talk with her.
▪ She lingered for a moment, uncertain what to do, then turned on her heel and left abruptly.
linger over
▪ As she lingered over her coffee, the sky began to darken and heavy rain clouds swept in.
linger on
▪ A few fans lingered on after the concert was over.
4. to stay somewhere too long
▷ outstay your welcome/overstay your welcome /aʊtˌsteɪ jɔːʳ ˈwelkəm, əʊvəʳˌsteɪ jɔːʳ ˈwelkəm/ [verb phrase]
to visit or stay with someone for too long, so that they wish you would go :
▪ Isn’t it time your friends left? They’ve outstayed their welcome a bit.
▪ She was so worried about overstaying her welcome that she left after only one night.
5. to stay in someone’s house or at a hotel
▷ stay /steɪ/ [intransitive verb]
to spend a few days, weeks etc at someone else’s house or at a hotel, but not live there permanently :
▪ Where in New Hampshire were you staying?
▪ How long are you staying?
stay (for) a few months/two weeks etc
▪ I was having such a good time in Paris that I phoned my mother to say I was staying another week.
stay at/in
▪ I stayed at my brother’s house for a couple of weeks.
▪ Which hotel are you staying at?
stay with
stay at someone’s house
▪ You could stay with John and Anne while you’re in London.
stay the night/stay over/stay overnight
British sleep at someone else’s house
▪ Is it all right if I stay the night?
▪ You can stay over, Gail, if it would help.
come to stay
▪ One of Sarah’s friends is coming to stay with us this summer.
▷ visit also visit with American /ˈvɪzɪt, ˈvɪzət, ˈvɪzə̇t wɪð/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to go to the house of a friend or relative and stay there for some time, because you want to see them :
▪ I went to visit her last winter and I really had a great time.
▪ How much do you visit with your Mom and Dad while you’re here?
▪ So are you just visiting friends out here or something?
▪ She sent me some photographs of when she visited in December.
▷ board /bɔːʳd/ [intransitive verb]
to stay in a room in a family house or in a house where other people have rooms, and where some or all of your meals are provided :
▪ Phoebe boards here during the week and goes home at weekends.
board with
▪ I boarded with the Jansens until I found a place of my own.
▷ lodge /lɒdʒǁlɑːdʒ/ [intransitive verb] British
if you lodge in someone’s house or in a hotel, you pay money to stay there :
lodge in/at/with
▪ Mrs Gould and her niece are lodging in the Rising Sun.
▪ His wife and kids were forced to lodge with friends until they found a place of their own.
6. someone who is staying in a hotel or someone’s house
▷ guest /gest/ [countable noun]
someone who is staying with friends or relatives or at a hotel :
▪ The hotel bar is for guests only.
▪ I’m really busy - I’m expecting guests this weekend.
▪ Police evacuated hotel guests after staff received a bomb threat.
have a guest
have someone staying with you at your home as a guest
▪ We had guests over Christmas - three of them stayed until the New Year.
▷ lodger /ˈlɒdʒəʳǁˈlɑː-/ [countable noun] British
someone who pays rent to live in a room in someone else’s house :
▪ Are you still looking for a lodger?
▪ This young lady’s our new lodger.
have a lodger/have somebody as a lodger
▪ We had lodgers all through the war, most of them evacuees.
take in a lodger
start having a lodger in your home
▪ If you’re having trouble paying your mortgage, consider taking in a lodger or at least renting out a room.
7. a place where you can stay for a short period of time
▷ a place to stay/somewhere to stay /ə ˌpleɪs tə ˈsteɪ, ˌsʌmweəʳ tə ˈsteɪ/ [noun phrase] especially spoken
a place where you can stay, for example a hotel or a room in someone’s house :
▪ She needs somewhere to stay while she’s at college.
▪ If I can’t find a place to stay, maybe I could stay at your pad.
▷ accommodation also accommodations American /əˌkɒməˈdeɪʃ ə n(z) ǁ əˌkɑː-/ []
a place where you pay money to stay, for example a hotel or a room that you rent :
▪ The price includes flights, accommodation and transport.
▪ You won’t find any really luxurious accommodations, but there are adequate hotels and guest houses.
▪ The cost of the six-day trip includes meals and motel accommodations.
▪ The cost of rented accommodation keeps going up.
▷ lodgings /ˈlɒdʒɪŋzǁˈlɑː-/ [plural noun] British
a house where you pay rent to the people who own it so that you can live in one of their rooms :
▪ The Henstocks were lucky enough to find lodgings in the village while they awaited a new home.
▪ She’s going to stay in lodgings until she finds a place of her own.
board and lodgings
when the price you pay includes some or all of your meals
▪ She was given free board and lodgings at the school where she worked.
▷ guest house /ˈgest haʊs/ [countable noun]
a small hotel where it is fairly cheap to stay, or a small house close to a larger house, where visitors can stay :
▪ They told me the old cinema had been turned into a guest house.
▪ We pulled up at a little guest house, but there were no vacancies there.
▷ boarding house /ˈbɔːʳdɪŋ ˌhaʊs/ [countable noun]
a private house where you pay to sleep and eat, and where you stay for a short time :
▪ He took two rooms in a private boarding house.
▪ Some of the boarding houses we stayed in were really run-down.
▷ bed and breakfast also B and B /ˌbed ə n ˈbrekfəst, ˌbiː ən ˈbiː/ [uncountable noun]
a small hotel or house where you pay to sleep for the night and have breakfast the next morning :
▪ We found a cheap bed and breakfast near the coast.
▪ ‘Where will you stay when you get there?’ ‘Oh, a B and B or a little guest house I expect.’
▷ digs /dɪgz/ [plural noun] British informal
a room in a house that you pay rent for, especially temporarily, for example because you are a student :
▪ In our third year at university, we moved into digs in Elm Street.
8. to let someone stay in your home
▷ have somebody to stay/have somebody staying /hæv somebody tə ˈsteɪ, hæv somebody ˈsteɪ-ɪŋ/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
if you have someone to stay, or have someone staying, they stay at your house for a few days, weeks etc :
▪ I’m busy all next week - I’ve got people to stay.
▪ Don’t plan anything for next weekend because I might be having my sister to stay.
▪ We often had overseas students staying with us over the summer.
▷ put somebody up /ˌpʊt somebody ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb] especially spoken
to let a friend stay in your home for a short time, and provide them with a bed to sleep in :
▪ ‘Where are you staying?’ ‘Carole’s putting us up for a couple of days.’
▪ They put me up in the spare room for a few days while I sorted things out.
▷ take somebody in /ˌteɪk somebody ˈɪn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to offer someone a place to live, especially because they need your help :
take in somebody
▪ For every child we take in, thousands are left to look after themselves on the streets.
take somebody in
▪ When Mary’s parents threw her out, my mother took her in.
9. the time when you stay somewhere
▷ stay /steɪ/ [singular noun]
the time when you stay in a place, for example when you go somewhere on holiday or for business :
▪ So how was the rest of your stay?
stay in
▪ I met her during my stay in Venice.
▷ visit /ˈvɪzɪt, ˈvɪzət/ [countable noun]
the time when you go to stay somewhere, especially in order to see people or see a place :
▪ It was my first visit to my wife’s parents’ house.
▪ She took the whole class out there for a visit.