“Staying” is a form of
stay
/steɪ/ verb, noun, particle, adjective, adverb, proper noun
Forms stays staying stayed stayest stayedst stayeth staid stayer stey stee steigh sti
- verb (intransitive) To remain in a particular place, especially for a definite or short period of time; sojourn; abide. “We stayed in Hawaii for a week. I can only stay for an hour.”
- verb (intransitive, copulative) To continue to have a particular quality. “Wear gloves so your hands stay warm.”
- verb (transitive) To prop; support; sustain; hold up; steady.
- verb (transitive) To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in part or for the time.
- verb To stop; detain; keep back; delay; hinder.
- verb To restrain; withhold; check; stop.
- verb To cause to cease; to put an end to.
- verb To put off; defer; postpone; delay; keep back. “The governor stayed the execution until the appeal could be heard.”
- noun Continuance or a period of time spent in a place; abode for an indefinite time. “I hope you enjoyed your stay in Hawaii.”
- noun (law) A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment. “The governor granted a stay of execution.”
- noun (archaic) A stop; a halt; a break or cessation of action, motion, or progress. “stand at a stay”
- noun A fixed state; fixedness; stability; permanence.
- noun (nautical) A station or fixed anchorage for vessels.
- noun Restraint of passion; prudence; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety.
- noun (obsolete) Hindrance; let; check.
- noun A prop; a support.
- noun A piece of stiff material, such as plastic or whalebone, used to stiffen a piece of clothing. “Where are the stays for my collar?”
- noun (in the plural) A corset.
- noun (archaic) A fastening for a garment; a hook; a clasp; anything to hang another thing on.
- particle (African-American Vernacular) Aspect marker indicating frequency or permanence. “He stay fighting.”
Synonyms
abide continue bear prop up uphold curb cancel endure await blin cease contend break a lance stand firm take a stand wait attend repress stifle discontinue arrest check halt hitch stop stoppage remain rest stick stick around
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English steyen, staien, from Old French estayer, estaier (“to fix, prop up, support, stay”), from estaye, estaie (“a prop, stay”), from Middle Dutch staeye (“a prop, stay”), a contracted form of staede, stade (“a prop, stay, help, aid”) (compare Middle Dutch staeyen, staeden (“to make firm, stay, support, hold still, stabilise”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stadi (“a site, place, location, standing”), from Proto-Germanic *stadiz (“a standing, place”), from Proto-Indo-European *stéh₂tis (“standing”). Influenced by Old English stæġ ("a stay, rope"; see below). Cognate with Old English stede (“a place, spot, locality, fixed position, station, site, standing, status, position of a moving body, stopping, standing still, stability, fixity, firmness, steadfastness”), Swedish stödja (“to prop, support, brace, hold up, bolster”), Icelandic stöðug (“continuous, stable”). More at stead, steady.
Sense of "remain, continue" may be due to later influence from Old French ester, esteir (“to stand, be, continue, remain”), from Latin stāre (“stand”), from the same Proto-Indo-European root above; however, derivation from this root is untenable based on linguistic and historical grounds.
An alternative etymology derives Old French estaye, estaie, from Frankish *stakā, *stakō (“stake, post”), from Proto-Germanic *stakô (“stake, bar, stick, pole”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teg- (“rod, pole, stick”), making it cognate with Old English staca (“pin, stake”), Old English stician (“to stick, be placed, lie, remain fixed”). Cognate with Albanian shtagë (“a long stick, a pole”). More at stake, stick.
From Middle English stay, from Old French estaye, estaie (“a prop, a stay”), from Middle Dutch staeye (“a prop, stay”), a contracted form of staede, stade ("a prop, stay, help, aid"; compare Middle Dutch staeyen, staeden (“to make firm, stay, support, hold still, stabilise”)), from Old Dutch *stad (“a site, place, location, standing”), from Proto-Germanic *stadiz (“a standing, place”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”). See above.
From Middle English stay, from Old English stæġ (“stay, a rope supporting a mast”), from Proto-West Germanic *stag, from Proto-Germanic *stagą (“stay, rope”), from Proto-Indo-European *stek-, *stāk- (“stand, pole”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”). Cognate with Dutch stag (“stay”), German Stag (“stay”), Swedish stag (“stay”), Icelandic stag (“stay”).
From Middle English *steȝe, from Old English *stǣġe, an apocopated variant of stǣġel (“steep, abrupt”), from Proto-West Germanic *staigil (“steep”), see sty.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A large, strong rope, employed to support a mast, by being extended from the head of one mast down to some other, or to some part of the vessel. Those which lead forward are called fore-and-aft stays; those which lead to the vessel's side are called backstays.
- verb To stop from motion or falling; to prop; to fix firmly; to hold up; to support.
- verb To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in part or for the time.
- verb To remain; to continue in a place; to abide fixed for a space of time; to stop; to stand still.
Etymology [AS. stæg, akin to D., G., Icel., Sw., & Dan. stag; cf. OF. estai, F. étai, of Teutonic origin.]
Etymology [OF. estayer, F. étayer to prop, fr. OF. estai, F. étai, a prop, probably fr. OD. stade, staeye, a prop, akin to E. stead; or cf. stay a rope to support a mast. Cf. Staid, a., Stay, v. i.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “stay”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details