stray
stray — adjective
- straypositive
- strayercomparative
- strayestsuperlative
1. separated from a group of similar things and found somewhere unexpected, away fr
separated from a group of similar things and found somewhere unexpected, away from where it belongs
Ingrid swept the stray leaves off the front steps after the storm.
collocation: stray leaves
A stray bullet shattered the window of the corner shop on Humbert Street.
collocation: stray bullet
Theo found a stray blue sock behind the washing machine with no matching partner.
The gardener pulled stray weeds from between the paving stones before they spread.
Kwame tucked a stray curl behind his ear before the photograph was taken.
- scattered
suggests things spread over an area, often by someone or something; stray emphasises accidental separation
- isolated
describes a single thing alone; stray often describes one or a few among many that are out of place
- odd
more informal; often used for the last remaining item of a set, like an odd sock
用法筆記
Always comes before the noun it describes. You cannot say 'the dog is stray' — it must be 'a stray dog.'
常見錯誤
2. happening now and then in an isolated way, without forming any regular pattern
happening now and then in an isolated way, without forming any regular pattern
A few stray clouds crossed the sky but the picnic carried on as planned.
collocation: stray clouds
Fatima ignored the stray comment about her accent and carried on with the presentation.
collocation: stray comment
The region can expect stray showers throughout the afternoon, the weather report said.
Dmitri heard a stray noise from the attic and blamed the old water pipes.
Only stray incidents of trouble broke out at the festival, not the feared riot.
- occasional
the most common synonym; neutral and widely used for anything that happens now and then
- sporadic
more formal; often used for events like gunfire, outages, or disease outbreaks
- isolated
emphasises that each occurrence stands alone, not linked to others
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (OUT OF PLACE): this sense is about irregular timing or frequency, not physical position. A stray bullet (sense 1) is physically off course; a stray comment (sense 2) happens at an unexpected moment.
常見錯誤
stray — noun
- straysingular
- straysplural
1. a domestic animal, especially a cat or dog, that is lost or has been abandoned a
a domestic animal, especially a cat or dog, that is lost or has been abandoned and lives on the streets
Mei-Lin took the thin stray to the vet and ended up adopting it herself.
collocation: take in a stray
The children fed the stray that slept under the bridge every morning before school.
Javier put up posters hoping the stray he had found had an owner.
A stray followed Sunita home from the market, ribs showing through patchy fur.
The shelter ran out of room after taking in too many strays that winter.
用法筆記
Countable noun. Typically used for cats and dogs, occasionally for other domestic animals like horses. Not used for wild animals.
常見錯誤
stray — verb
- straypresent simple I / you / we / they
- strayshe / she / it
- strayedpast simple
- straying-ing form
1. to move away from the route or area you are meant to stay in, often without mean
to move away from the route or area you are meant to stay in, often without meaning to
Oluwaseun strayed from the marked trail and took an hour to find the group again.
stray from + noun phrase
The sheep strayed onto the main road and made a lorry brake sharply.
Eszter warned the children not to stray beyond the garden gate while cooking.
A hiker strayed close to the cliff edge and the guide shouted a sharp warning.
The ball strayed over the fence and nobody wanted to knock on the neighbour's door.
- wander
suggests leisurely, often intentional movement away; stray implies accidental or brief deviation
- deviate
more formal; often used for rules, standards, or planned routes — a plane deviates from its flight path
- drift
emphasises slow, gradual movement away, often without the person noticing it happening
- keep to
stay faithfully on a path or route
文法句型
stray from + noun phrase
stray into + noun phrase
stray onto + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'from' to name the path or route left behind. Subject can be a person, animal, or object. Distinguish from sense 3 (ROAM AIMLESSLY): this sense is about leaving a known course, not about having no destination at all.
常見錯誤
2. to let your thoughts or your words move away from the main subject you should be
to let your thoughts or your words move away from the main subject you should be concentrating on
Joaquín's mind strayed to his brother during the lecturer's explanation of the formula.
stray to + thought/memory
The chairperson asked everyone to keep comments short and not stray from the agenda.
stray from the agenda
During the sermon, Hana's thoughts strayed to what she would cook for dinner.
The interview strayed into personal matters and the politician refused to answer further.
The security guard tried not to let his attention stray during the long night shift.
- digress
more formal; used for speech or writing that goes off the main point
- get sidetracked
more informal; implies being pulled away by a distraction rather than drifting naturally
- deviate
formal; often used for departing from a plan, script, or agreed line of discussion
- focus
direct attention firmly onto one subject
- concentrate
keep thoughts trained on a single matter
- stick to
remain faithfully on the same topic
文法句型
stray from + topic
stray to + thought
stray into + subject area
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person's mind, thoughts, attention, or words. Often paired with 'from' to name the topic that should have been the focus. Only sense where the subject is typically a mental process rather than physical movement.
常見錯誤
3. to walk or travel around slowly with no particular goal or fixed direction in mi
to walk or travel around slowly with no particular goal or fixed direction in mind
Biruk strayed through the old town for hours, peering into shop windows without any plan.
stray through + place
The cattle strayed across the open grassland, nibbling at patches of dry grass.
Anaya let her gaze stray around the crowded room without looking for anyone.
The old dog strayed along the beach each morning while its owner read on a bench.
After the market closed, the children strayed among the empty stalls playing tag.
- hurry
move quickly with purpose
- make a beeline
go directly towards a goal without detours
文法句型
stray + through/around/across + place
用法筆記
Subject can be a person, animal, or metaphorically eyes or gaze. Describes relaxed, undirected movement, not purposeful travel. Distinguish from sense 1 (LEAVE THE PATH): sense 1 involves leaving a known course by accident, while sense 3 has no course at all.