go astray

verb

To develop bad habits; to behave improperly or illegally.

“The woman thought her husband had gone astray.”

Similar
break badgo bad
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Meanings

verbgo astray (third-person singular simple present goes astray, present participle going astray, simple past went astray, past participle gone astray)

present singular third person goes astray · participle present going astray · past went astray · participle past gone astray

  1. intransitiveTo develop bad habits; to behave improperly or illegally.

    If you keep hanging out with that gang you'll go astray.

    Synonyms: break bad, go bad

  2. intransitiveTo behave in an adulterous manner.

    The woman thought her husband had gone astray.

    1 more example

    I am a prisoner and all my so-called friends have gone astray on me. Could you please print this ad for me so I may hopefully reach society: I'm a lonely inmate who wishes to write someone and have a sincere relation.

    1980 August 9, James W. Smith, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 15
  3. intransitiveTo come to believe an untruth.
  4. intransitiveTo become lost or mislaid.
  5. intransitiveTo be undesirable or unhelpful.

    A pinch of salt in this dish wouldn't go astray.

  6. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see go, astray.

    I went astray and ended up lost.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo develop bad habits; to behave improperly or illegally.

Similar
break badgo bad
Also see
break bad

Translations

Arabic ضَلَّ, ضَلَّ
  • ضَلَّ (ḍalla)develop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • ضَلَّ (ḍalla)come to believe an untruth
Chinese Mandarin 誤入歧途 /误入歧途
  • 誤入歧途 /误入歧途 (wùrùqítú)develop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
Danish komme langt ud, gå ned af bakke
  • komme langt uddevelop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • gå ned af bakkedevelop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
Finnish hairahtua, poiketa
  • hairahtuadevelop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • poiketadevelop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • eksyädevelop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • mennä harhaancome to believe an untruth
German auf die schiefe Bahn geraten, fremdgehen
  • auf die schiefe Bahn geratendevelop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • fremdgehento behave in an adulterous manner
  • verloren gehenof objects: to become lost or mislaid
  • verlustig gehenof objects: to become lost or mislaid
  • fehl am Platze seinto be undesirable or unhelpful
  • verkehrt seinto be undesirable or unhelpful
  • schlecht seinto be undesirable or unhelpful
Russian сбива́ться с пути́, сби́ться с пути́
  • сбива́ться с пути́ (sbivátʹsja s putí)develop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • сби́ться с пути́ (sbítʹsja s putí)develop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • заблужда́ться (zabluždátʹsja)come to believe an untruth
  • потеря́ться (poterjátʹsja)of objects: to become lost or mislaid
  • теря́ться (terjátʹsja)of objects: to become lost or mislaid
Swedish bli borttappat
  • bli borttappatof objects: to become lost or mislaid
Thai หลง, หลงทาง
  • หลง (lǒng)develop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • หลงทาง (lǒng-taang)develop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • ออกนอกลู่นอกทางdevelop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
  • นอกใจ (nɔ̂ɔk-jai)to behave in an adulterous manner
  • มีชู้ (mii-chúu)to behave in an adulterous manner
  • หาย (hǎai)of objects: to become lost or mislaid
Turkish azmak
  • azmakdevelop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally
Cite this entry
APA

go astray. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20astray

MLA

“go astray.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20astray. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “go astray,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20astray.

Source: go astray on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.