MEANING
1. To move away from an intended path, topic, or area.
2. Not in the expected place or occurring as an isolated instance.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- stray from the path
- stray off topic
On the page
The essay strays from its central question.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- stray
- Past tense
- strayed
- Past participle
- strayed
- Present participle
- straying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- stray
- Present continuous
- am/is/are straying
- Present perfect
- have/has strayed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been straying
- Past
- strayed
- Past continuous
- was/were straying
- Past perfect
- had strayed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been straying
- Future
- will stray
- Future continuous
- will be straying
- Future perfect
- will have strayed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been straying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: stray; strays; strayed; strayed; straying Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: strays.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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