stayed

/steɪ/ (bre, ipa) · [stˈed] /steɪ/ (ame, ipa) · [stˈed] /ˈstā How to pronounce stay (audio)/ (ame, mw)

stayed — verb

  • stayedpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • stayeds3rd person singular
  • stayeding-ing form
  • stayededpast simple

1. remained where a person or thing already was instead of going elsewhere or movin

1.動詞不及物A2
釋義

remained where a person or thing already was instead of going elsewhere or moving away.

例句

Iris stayed in the waiting room while her son had an X-ray.

stayed + adverbial of place

Because the roads flooded after lunch, Brandon stayed at the office until midnight.

stayed at + place

同義詞
  • remained

    more formal and common in writing

  • lingered

    suggests staying longer than expected

  • waited

    adds the idea of expecting something to happen

反義詞

文法句型

stayed + adverbial of place

stayed behind

用法筆記

Often followed by a place phrase such as 'in bed', 'at the office', or 'on the bus'. Distinguish from sense 3 when the person is not visiting or lodging somewhere, but simply not leaving.

常見錯誤

❌Brandon stayed to the office after lunch.
✅Brandon stayed at the office after lunch.
💡Use 'at' before the place you remain in.
❌The dog stayed from the table.
✅The dog stayed under the table.
💡This sense needs the place where someone or something remained.

2. kept the same condition, feeling, or relationship for a period of time.

2.動詞及物 / 不及物A2
釋義

kept the same condition, feeling, or relationship for a period of time.

例句

Linh stayed calm when smoke filled the kitchen after breakfast.

stayed + adjective

The soup stayed warm in the pot while the guests were arriving.

同義詞
  • remained

    closest formal equivalent

  • kept

    often implies active effort, especially with people

反義詞
  • changed

    became different from before

文法句型

stayed + adjective

stayed + noun phrase

用法筆記

Used like a linking verb. It is most common before adjectives such as 'calm', 'warm', or 'open', but it can also be followed by noun phrases like 'friends' or adjective-like participles such as 'locked'.

常見錯誤

❌Linh stayed calmly during the fire drill.
✅Linh stayed calm during the fire drill.
💡Use an adjective, not an adverb, after this linking-verb use.
❌The soup stayed to be warm.
✅The soup stayed warm.
💡Do not add 'to be' after 'stayed' in this sense.

3. spent a short period living somewhere as a guest, traveller, or visitor.

3.動詞不及物A2
釋義

spent a short period living somewhere as a guest, traveller, or visitor.

例句

Haruto stayed at a small inn near the mountain trail for two nights.

stayed at + accommodation

Aarav stayed with his aunt in Kaohsiung during the school holiday.

stayed with + person

同義詞
  • lodged

    more formal, often for paid accommodation

  • visited

    focuses on the trip itself, not the lodging

文法句型

stayed at + place

stayed with + person

stayed in + city/country

用法筆記

Use 'at' for a specific building, 'with' for a host, and 'in' for a city or wider area. Unlike sense 1, this sense implies temporary lodging away from one's usual home.

常見錯誤

❌Aarav stayed to his aunt in Kaohsiung.
✅Aarav stayed with his aunt in Kaohsiung.
💡Use 'with' before the person hosting you.
❌Isabela stayed the airport hotel.
✅Isabela stayed at the airport hotel.
💡Use 'at' before the hotel or other accommodation.

4. spent the night sleeping away from home, usually as someone else's guest.

4.動詞不及物B1
釋義

spent the night sleeping away from home, usually as someone else's guest.

例句

Noa stayed over at her cousin's flat after the birthday dinner ended late.

stayed over

Darius stayed the night at Ben's house because the last train had gone.

stayed the night

同義詞

文法句型

stayed over

stayed the night

stayed at + house

用法筆記

This sense is narrower than sense 3 because it specifically includes sleeping there for the night. 'Stayed over' and 'stayed the night' are common signals.

常見錯誤

❌Darius stayed the night at Ben.
✅Darius stayed the night at Ben's house.
💡Name the place, not only the person.
❌The hikers stayed one night in farmhouse.
✅The hikers stayed one night in a farmhouse.
💡Use an article before a singular countable place noun.

5. lived in a place as a regular home, especially in British English.

5.動詞不及物B1
釋義

lived in a place as a regular home, especially in British English.

例句

For most of his life, the poet stayed in a stone house above the harbour.

long-term residence context

Before moving south, Nala stayed in Manchester with her parents and two brothers.

同義詞
  • lived

    neutral everyday choice, especially in American English

  • settled

    emphasises establishing a home, often after moving

反義詞
  • moved away

    left the place where one had been living

文法句型

stayed in + place

stayed with + family

用法筆記

This use is more natural in British English than in American English, where 'lived' is usually preferred for permanent residence. Long-term context words such as 'for most of his life' or 'during his teaching years' help separate it from sense 3.

常見錯誤

❌Nala stayed in Manchester for a weekend.
✅Nala stayed in Manchester for years.
💡A short visit points to sense 3, not this long-term residence sense.

6. stopped or held back movement, change, or growth for a time.

6.動詞及物C1
釋義

stopped or held back movement, change, or growth for a time.

例句

A deep trench stayed the truck before it reached the broken bridge.

stayed + movement

The new medicine stayed the fever for most of the afternoon.

stayed + illness

同義詞
  • halted

    more common everyday choice

  • checked

    formal; suggests slowing or restraining

  • restrained

    often used for emotions or harmful actions

反義詞
  • advanced

    continued to move or develop

  • sped

    moved faster instead of being held back

文法句型

stayed + movement/progress

stayed + illness/emotion

用法筆記

This is a formal reading often found in news reports, older writing, and careful prose. The object is usually movement, growth, disease, emotion, or some other process that is being checked or held back, not a legal order.

7. temporarily stopped an order, sentence, or other legal action by official decisi

7.動詞及物C1
釋義

temporarily stopped an order, sentence, or other legal action by official decision.

例句

The judge stayed the eviction order until the new documents could be checked.

stayed + order

A higher court stayed the sentence while the appeal was being heard.

stayed + sentence

同義詞
  • suspended

    broader and more common outside fixed legal phrasing

  • postponed

    focuses on delay, not on court authority

反義詞
  • enforced

    put the order or rule into effect

  • upheld

    confirmed and allowed to stand

文法句型

stayed + order/sentence

stayed + execution

stayed + rule

用法筆記

Restricted to legal and official settings. Distinguish it from sense 6 by the object: here the object is a ruling, sentence, execution, or regulation rather than a physical or medical process.

常見錯誤

❌The judge stayed to the order.
✅The judge stayed the order.
💡In this legal sense, the order is the direct object.
❌The court stayed the sentence forever.
✅The court stayed the sentence while the appeal was heard.
💡A stay is normally temporary, not permanent.

stayed — noun