Strayed: meaning, definitions and examples

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strayed

 

[ streɪd ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

lost direction

To stray means to move away from a place or path, often unintentionally. It can also imply deviating from the expected or proper course of action. The term is frequently used in the context of wandering off or becoming lost, whether physically or metaphorically. For example, someone might stray from a designated hiking trail or stray from their original intentions in a conversation.

Synonyms

departed, drifted, roamed, wandered

Examples of usage

  • The dog strayed too far from home.
  • She strayed from her plan and ended up in a different city.
  • They warned us not to stray from the marked path.
  • He strayed into dangerous territory, both literally and figuratively.

Translations

Translations of the word "strayed" in other languages:

🇵🇹 desviado

🇮🇳 भटका हुआ

🇩🇪 abgewichen

🇮🇩 tersesat

🇺🇦 заблукалий

🇵🇱 zbłąkany

🇯🇵 迷った

🇫🇷 égaré

🇪🇸 extraviado

🇹🇷 yoldan çıkmış

🇰🇷 길을 잃은

🇸🇦 تائه

🇨🇿 zatoulaný

🇸🇰 zablúdený

🇨🇳 迷失的

🇸🇮 izgubljen

🇮🇸 villtur

🇰🇿 жоғалған

🇬🇪 დაკარგული

🇦🇿 itkin

🇲🇽 extraviado

Word origin

The term 'strayed' is the past tense of the verb 'stray', which originates from the Middle English word 'streien', meaning 'to go astray'. This Middle English word can be traced back to the Old English 'strægan', which meant 'to stray, to go astray' and is related to the Proto-Germanic '*straihan', meaning 'to stretch, to extend'. Over time, the meaning evolved to include the notions of deviation and wandering, not always with the implication of negative consequence. The concept of straying often carries a connotation of loss or lack of direction, and in a broader sense, it can also refer to moral or ethical deviation.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #17,816, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.