stay out: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral to informal. Common in spoken and informal written English. The 'avoid involvement' sense is more formal.
Quick answer
What does “stay out” mean?
to remain outside a building or area.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
to remain outside a building or area; to not go home; to not become involved in something
1. To remain away from one's home, especially later than usual or permitted. 2. To deliberately avoid involvement in a situation, conflict, or activity. 3. To continue being on strike or in a state of protest.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use it with same core meanings. 'Stay out' meaning 'to remain on strike' might be slightly more frequent in UK news discourse.
Connotations
The parental instruction 'Don't stay out too late!' is universal. The advice 'Stay out of it' can range from friendly to stern in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “stay out” in a Sentence
[NP] stay out (intransitive)[NP] stay out of [NP] (transitive with 'of')[NP] stay out [adverbial of time/location]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “stay out” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The cat will stay out in the garden if it's sunny.
- My advice is to stay out of their family quarrel.
- The workers have voted to stay out indefinitely.
American English
- Don't stay out past curfew.
- You should stay out of that dodgy investment scheme.
- The union decided to stay out until their demands were met.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"It's a personal dispute; management should stay out of it." (Remain uninvolved)
Academic
"The study advised governments to stay out of the market to allow natural competition."
Everyday
"The kids begged to stay out until midnight to watch the fireworks."
Technical
"Ensure the electrical components stay out of contact with moisture."
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “stay out”
- *I stayed out the party. (Correct: I stayed out *of* the party.)
- *Don't stay out from the discussion. (Correct: Don't stay out *of* the discussion.)
- Confusing 'stay out' with 'go out'. ('Go out' is the action of leaving; 'stay out' is the state of remaining outside).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is not typically separable. The object usually comes after the whole phrase with the preposition 'of' (e.g., stay out of trouble). You cannot say 'stay trouble out'.
'Go out' describes the action of leaving a place. 'Stay out' describes the continuing state of *remaining* outside or away from a place. Example: 'They went out at 8 PM and stayed out until 2 AM.'
Yes, depending on context. 'Stay out of debt' or 'stay out of trouble' are positive goals. 'Stay out in the fresh air' is also positive for health.
Very commonly for warnings or instructions: 'Stay out of my room!' 'Stay out of the road, it's dangerous!' 'Stay out of it, this doesn't concern you.'
to remain outside a building or area.
Stay out is usually neutral to informal. common in spoken and informal written english. the 'avoid involvement' sense is more formal. in register.
Stay out: in British English it is pronounced /steɪ ˈaʊt/, and in American English it is pronounced /steɪ ˈaʊt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Stay out of my hair! (Stop bothering me)”
- “Stay out in the cold (to be excluded)”
- “Stay out past your curfew”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a 'STAY OUT' sign on a door. You must STAY on the OUTside.
Conceptual Metaphor
INVOLVEMENT IS A CONTAINER (to stay out of an argument is to remain outside its metaphorical boundaries).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'stay out' CORRECTLY?