stay away

verb

To avoid or not go anywhere near someone or something.

“The job could involve you staying away from home.”

Similar
stand backkeep one's eyes offkeep one's distancekeep one's hands off
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Meanings

verbstay away (third-person singular simple present stays away, present participle staying away, simple past and past participle stayed away)

present singular third person stays away · participle present staying away · participle past stayed away · past stayed away

  1. idiomaticinformalTo avoid or not go anywhere near someone or something.

    The job could involve you staying away from home.

    1 more example

    Why you act crazy? Not an act maybe So close a lady Shifty eyes shady I stay away I stay away I stay away I stay away

    1994, Alice in Chains, “I Stay Away”, in Jar of Flies (acoustic rock, grunge), performed by Alice in Chains

Synonyms & antonyms

verbstay clear of, avoid

Similar
stand backkeep one's eyes offkeep one's distancekeep one's hands off
Broader
be
Also see
keep one's distancestand back

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Spanish no acercarse, mantenerse alejado
  • no acercarseTranslations
  • mantenerse alejadoTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

stay away. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stay%20away

MLA

“stay away.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stay%20away. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stay away,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stay%20away.

Source: stay away on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.