stays: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
HighNeutral (used across formal, informal, spoken, and written contexts)
Quick answer
What does “stays” mean?
Remains in a particular place, state, or condition.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Remains in a particular place, state, or condition; does not leave or change.
Can refer to a temporary period of residing somewhere (e.g., a hotel stay), or to the act of continuing in a specified role or adhering to a decision. Also, historically, a type of supportive undergarment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The noun 'stays' (corset) is historical in both varieties. Slight preference in the UK for 'stay' in legal/judicial contexts ('stay of execution').
Connotations
Identical core connotations of permanence or temporary residence.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “stays” in a Sentence
NP __ (PP) [He stays in London]NP __ AdjP [She stays healthy]NP __ AdvP [The children stay indoors]NP __ NP (rare, e.g., 'stay the course')Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “stays” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She stays in a lovely B&B in Cornwall.
- The weather stays miserable all summer.
- Please stay for a cuppa.
American English
- He stays at a motel off the interstate.
- The price stays fixed for the season.
- Can you stay for dinner?
adverb
British English
- N/A (not used as adverb)
American English
- N/A (not used as adverb)
adjective
British English
- N/A (not used as adjective)
American English
- N/A (not used as adjective)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to employee retention ('stays with the company'), project continuity, or market conditions ('inflation stays high').
Academic
Used in discussions of stability, constancy, or longitudinal states ('the variable stays constant').
Everyday
Most common: discussing travel accommodation, health, weather, or plans ('He stays at his friend's house').
Technical
Legal: 'a stay of proceedings'; Computing: 'the process stays in memory'.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “stays”
- Using it transitively without 'with/at' (*'I stayed London').
- Confusing 'stay' and 'live' for permanent residence.
- Overusing in progressive forms where stative meaning is intended (*'I am staying knowing this').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it can be used for things, conditions, or abstract concepts (e.g., 'The problem stays unresolved', 'The door stays locked').
They are often synonyms, but 'remain' can sound slightly more formal. 'Stay' is more common for temporary living situations.
Yes, but the plural noun 'stays' (meaning corset or support) is historical/archaic and rarely used in modern English outside historical contexts.
The simple past is 'stayed' for all persons (I stayed, he stayed). It is regular.
Remains in a particular place, state, or condition.
Stays is usually neutral (used across formal, informal, spoken, and written contexts) in register.
Stays: in British English it is pronounced /steɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /steɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “stay the course”
- “stay put”
- “stay ahead of the game”
- “stay on one's toes”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine the word 'STAY' with a big 'S' at the end, like a snake coiling around a post—it doesn't leave.
Conceptual Metaphor
STABILITY IS PHYSICAL INERTIA (not moving from a spot); CONTINUITY IS A JOURNEY WITHOUT DEPARTURE.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'stays' used CORRECTLY?