strayverb [ I ]
uk/streɪ/us/streɪ/to travel along a route that was not originally intended, or to move outside a limited area:
A herd of cattle had strayed into the road.
They got lost when they strayed too far from the path.
The ship strayed off course during the storm.
to start thinking or talking about a different subject from the one you should be giving attention to:
I think we've strayed too far from our original plan.
Sorry - I've strayed from the subject.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Losing and loss
- astray
- black hole
- disappear
- forfeit
- get to
- haemorrhage
- kiss
- lose
- lose your way idiom
- loss
- lost
- mislay
- misplace
- miss
- say
- slip away
- slip through sb's fingers idiom
- walkabout
- wave
- wave/say goodbye to sth idiom
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Digressing and being indirect or evasive
straynoun [ C ]
uk/streɪ/us/streɪ/a pet that no longer has a home or cannot find its home:
a stray dog
"Who owns that cat?" "I don't know. I think it must be a stray."
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General & informal words for animals
- arthropod
- beast
- beastie
- brute
- bug
- creepy-crawly
- critter
- domestic animal
- invertebrate
- man-eater
- pest
- pet
- predator
- prey
- thing
- vermin
- vertebrata
strayadjective [ before noun ]
uk/streɪ/us/streɪ/Stray things have moved apart from similar things and are not in their expected or intended place:
There are still a few stray spots of paint on the window pane.
Several journalists have been killed or injured by stray bullets while reporting on the civil war.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Losing and loss
- astray
- black hole
- disappear
- forfeit
- get to
- haemorrhage
- kiss
- lose
- lose your way idiom
- loss
- lost
- mislay
- misplace
- miss
- say
- slip away
- slip through sb's fingers idiom
- walkabout
- wave
- wave/say goodbye to sth idiom
See more results »