stray

13 synonyms and 2 antonyms for stray, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To wander away from where you should be, or to drift off a planned path or topic.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

lost range cast isolated

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

roam drift err

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

meander wayward vagrant ramble digress divagate

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To wander away from where you should be, or to drift off a planned path or topic.

“The dog strayed from the yard and wandered into town.”

roam drift meander lost wayward vagrant range err ramble cast digress divagate

Opposites

stick adhere

2. adj

Having wandered off, or found somewhere it doesn't belong.

“They took in a stray cat that kept showing up on the porch.”

isolated

How to use stray

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

stray dog stray bullet stray from the topic

Etymology

From Old French estraier, tied to the idea of wandering off the main road ("strata"), and blended with an Old English word meaning to scatter.

Full origin of stray →

Frequently asked questions

What does “stray” mean?

The word “stray” means to wander away from where you should be, or to drift off a planned path or topic. In plain terms, to wander off course, or (as an adjective) something/someone lost or out of place, like a stray animal.

How do you pronounce “stray”?

“Stray” is pronounced stray (/stɹeɪ/ in IPA).

How do you use “stray” in a sentence?

Here is “stray” used in a sentence: “The dog strayed from the yard and wandered into town.”

What part of speech is “stray”?

Depending on how it is used, “stray” can be a verb and an adjective.

Where does the word “stray” come from?

The word “stray” comes from Old French. From Old French estraier, tied to the idea of wandering off the main road ("strata"), and blended with an Old English word meaning to scatter.

Is “stray” a common word?

“Stray” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

How many meanings does “stray” have?

“Stray” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to wander away from where you should be, or to drift off a planned path or topic.

What is the difference between a stray animal and a wild animal?

A stray animal is one that has wandered away from an owner or home and is found somewhere it doesn't belong, meaning it was once cared for by humans. A wild animal, by contrast, has never been owned or domesticated in the first place.

Can stray be used for something other than animals?

Yes, stray can describe anyone or anything that wanders away from where it should be, such as a stray bullet, a stray comment, or a person who strays off a planned path or topic.

Is stray used differently as a verb versus an adjective?

As a verb, stray describes the action of wandering off, as in 'the dog strayed from the yard.' As an adjective, it describes the resulting state, as in 'a stray dog' or 'a stray hair,' meaning something found out of place.

People also searched

lost range cast stick isolated drift adhere err roam divagate meander digress

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of stray