stay-at-home
stay-at-home — adjective
1. describes a mother or father who looks after their children at home during the d
describes a mother or father who looks after their children at home during the day rather than going to a job outside the house
Anika became a stay-at-home mother after her daughter was born and now manages the household full-time.
stay-at-home mother — gender-neutral usage also common
Diego works as a stay-at-home dad while his wife runs a small bakery in the city centre.
Many stay-at-home parents choose to return to work once their children start school.
The support group offers free advice for stay-at-home mothers who want to start a small business from home.
- full-time parent
more general; can describe any parent who does not work outside the home, regardless of reason
- homemaker
broader term; refers to managing a household, not necessarily childcare specifically
- working parent
a parent who goes out to a paid job
文法句型
stay-at-home + noun (mother/father/parent/dad)
用法筆記
Commonly paired with mother, father, parent, or dad. The term is gender-neutral in modern usage — stay-at-home parent is preferred in formal writing.
常見錯誤
2. in ice hockey, describing a player whose main role is to protect the defensive z
in ice hockey, describing a player whose main role is to protect the defensive zone and block the other team from scoring, rather than moving the puck forward to attack
The team's stay-at-home defenseman blocked three shots in the final period of the match.
stay-at-home defenseman — the most common noun pair for this sense
Coach Rivera prefers a stay-at-home defender who never leaves the blue line unprotected.
Although Kofi is a stay-at-home defenceman, he still contributes to fast counter-attacks for his team.
Lars, the team's stay-at-home defenseman, blocked two shots in front of the goal during the final minute.
- defensive defenseman
more formal term for the same role in ice hockey
- shutdown defenseman
informal; emphasises the player's ability to stop opponent attacks
- offensive defenseman
a defenseman who frequently joins the attack and moves forward
文法句型
stay-at-home + noun (defenseman/defender)
用法筆記
A specialised term in ice hockey. The opposite of an offensive defenseman. British English spells defenceman instead of defenseman.
stay-at-home — verb
- stay-at-homepresent simple I / you / we / they
- stay-at-homes3rd person singular
- stay-at-homing-ing form
- stay-at-homedpast simple
1. to choose not to leave your house or flat, especially when you could have gone o
to choose not to leave your house or flat, especially when you could have gone out to do something enjoyable
Hana decided to stay at home and read a book instead of going to the party.
stay at home + instead of [activity] — contrast structure
Arjun stayed at home all weekend to finish his university application essay.
Because of the heavy rain, most of the neighbours stayed at home on Saturday evening.
When you feel unwell, it is better to stay at home and rest rather than go to work.
The Watanabe family usually stays at home during the winter holiday to save money for summer trips.
- stay in
more informal; implies cancelling or avoiding plans to go out
- remain indoors
more formal; emphasises being inside a building
- go out
to leave your home for social activities
文法句型
stay at home (without object)
用法筆記
This is the literal meaning of the verb phrase stay at home. It is not a fixed idiom — the phrase is formed by the verb stay followed by the adverbial phrase at home.
常見錯誤
2. describes a situation in which a person does not engage in paid work outside the
describes a situation in which a person does not engage in paid work outside the house because they are needed at home to raise small children or care for relatives
Fatima stayed at home for six years to look after her twin boys before returning to teaching.
stay at home + to look after [children/family]
After their father fell ill, the eldest daughter stayed at home to care for him during the weekdays.
Some parents choose to stay at home while their children are very young and rejoin the workforce later.
Elena stayed at home when her baby was born and now runs an online shop from her kitchen table.
- be a homemaker
broader term; includes managing the household, not just childcare
- be a full-time parent
emphasises childcare as the reason for not working
- go out to work
to leave home for a paid job
- work outside the home
formal; having a job away from the house
文法句型
stay at home + to [infinitive]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (REMAIN HOME): sense 1 is about a single occasion of not going out, while sense 2 describes an ongoing arrangement or life choice related to work and family care.
stay-at-home — noun
1. someone who rarely leaves their home to join social events and is viewed by othe
someone who rarely leaves their home to join social events and is viewed by other people as uninteresting or dull
Lukas is such a stay-at-home — he never joins the department dinners or the weekend outings.
such a stay-at-home — intensifier + noun pattern
My flatmates call me a stay-at-home because I prefer quiet evenings with a film over loud parties.
During freshman year, people thought Wei was a boring stay-at-home until they saw his photography portfolio.
Sofia does not mind being called a stay-at-home because she genuinely loves her quiet life at home.
- social butterfly
informal; someone who loves attending parties and social events
文法句型
be a stay-at-home
用法筆記
This noun has a mildly insulting tone in informal conversation. It implies the person lacks social skills or has a boring personality. The term is less common than the adjective sense (stay-at-home parent) and should be used with care.