Astray
/əˈstreɪ/
adverbBeginner📊CommonDirection
1 meaning2 questions
Definitions
1
Away from the correct or intended course; lost or wandering.
/əˈstreɪ/
adverbnegativeBeginner
Direction
Away from the correct path or direction.
The sheep wandered astray from the flock.
💡 Simply: Lost or off track.
More Examples
2
The pilot's calculations went astray, causing the plane to miss its target.
How It's Used
Navigation
"The hikers went astray and got lost in the woods."
Figurative
"His reasoning went astray, leading him to the wrong conclusion."
From Old English *on stræte ('on the road'), meaning 'away from the right way'. The modern sense developed from the literal meaning of being off the main road.
The word's literal meaning, 'away from the road,' was more prevalent in earlier English.
Memory tip
Think 'a stray' – something that's gone off course.
Word Origin
Original meaning
"on the road"
go astraylead astray
Common misspellings
astrayya strayastraye
Practice
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written