astray
gb/əstɹˈeɪ/ us/əstɹˈeɪ/
B2
English
~ 27900
rossz útra tér, elzüllik, elkallódik, elvész, félremegy, tévútra jut
B2
1
elzüllik
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] goes astray
As a teenager he went astray and started getting into serious trouble.
Tiniként rossz útra tért, és súlyos bajokba keveredett.
The charity helps young people who have gone astray to rebuild their lives.
A jótékonysági szervezet segít azoknak a fiataloknak, akik rossz útra tértek, hogy újraépítsék az életüket.
She worries that her son might be led astray by older kids in the neighborhood.
Without strong guidance, the company’s culture gradually went astray.
The film shows how good intentions can go astray when people become greedy.
Learner examples
The boy went astray and joined a bad group.
A fiú rossz útra tért, és egy rossz társasághoz csatlakozott.
Her parents were afraid she might go astray at college.
A szülei attól féltek, hogy az egyetemen rossz útra térhet.
He was led astray by friends who broke the law.
Good advice can help teenagers not go astray.
The teacher tried to help the students before they went astray.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "astray" before a noun, as in *"an astray boy"*, but this is not natural. "Astray" is usually used after verbs like "go" or "lead" in phrases such as "go astray" or "lead someone astray."
Meaning
morally or socially off course
Collocations
go astray
|lead [someone] astray
|be led astray
|morally astray
|young people astray
|astray from the right path
Synonyms
wrongly (Focuses on being incorrect or wrong, but with less strong moral or social judgment than "astray" often suggests.)
|
off course (Highlights being away from a correct path or plan, with less specific moral or social meaning.)
Antonyms
properly (Suggests acting in a correct, acceptable, and socially approved way, the opposite of going astray.)
Themes
society
|ethics
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
|law
Definition
behaving in a bad or wrong way, not following good rules or values
Away from what is morally, socially, or legally right; into bad, harmful, or unacceptable behavior.
B2
2
elkallódik
B2
elvész
A2
Usage pattern:
[something] goes astray
Several of the parcels went astray during the postal strike.
A csomagok közül több is elkallódott a postai sztrájk idején.
My email must have gone astray because she never replied.
Biztosan elkallódott az e-mailem, mert soha nem válaszolt.
One of the hikers went astray in the fog and had to be rescued.
Important documents went astray and were never found.
Somewhere along the way, the message went astray and never reached the team.
Learner examples
My letter went astray and did not reach him.
A levelem elkallódott, és nem jutott el hozzá.
The package went astray in the mail.
A csomag elkallódott a postán.
One tourist went astray and got lost in the city.
Some files went astray, so we cannot find them now.
Her invitation went astray, so she did not come to the party.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "astray" with "away" and say *"the letter went away"*. Use "went astray" to mean it was lost or misdirected, especially in the mail or during delivery.
Meaning
lost or in wrong place
Collocations
letters went astray
|packages go astray
|the email went astray
|a hiker went astray
|documents went astray
|in the post went astray
Synonyms
lost (Very close in meaning; focuses on something not being found, while "astray" often hints it was misdirected or misplaced.)
|
misdirected (More technical and specific to being sent to the wrong place, while "astray" is more general.)
Antonyms
delivered (Emphasizes that something has reached the correct destination, the opposite of going astray in transit.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Definition
lost or not in the place where it should be, often because it did not reach the right person or place
In or into the wrong place; lost, missing, or not reaching the intended destination.
C1
3
félremegy
B2
tévútra jut
C1
Usage pattern:
[plans or ideas] go astray
Somewhere in the middle of the proof, his logic goes astray.
Valahol a bizonyítás közepén tévútra jut a gondolatmenete.
Their calculations went astray, so the budget was far too low.
A számításaik félrementek, ezért a költségvetés jóval alacsonyabb lett a kelleténél.
Our plans went astray when the main speaker canceled at the last minute.
The discussion started well but soon went astray into unrelated topics.
The project went astray because the initial assumptions were wrong.
Learner examples
Her plan went astray when it started to rain.
A terve félrement, amikor elkezdett esni az eső.
My calculations went astray, so the answer is not correct.
Félrementek a számításaim, ezért az eredmény nem helyes.
The talk goes astray when they begin to argue.
The project went astray after the manager left.
His thinking went astray, and he made a big mistake.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes try to use "astray" directly before a noun, as in *"an astray plan"*. Instead, use it after verbs like "go" or "turn": "the plan went astray."
Meaning
in error or off plan
Collocations
calculations went astray
|plans went astray
|reasoning goes astray
|thinking went astray
|the argument goes astray
|things can go astray
Synonyms
awry (Very close in meaning; suggests that something has gone wrong or off the intended course, often in a more literary tone.)
|
wrong (More general and simpler; does not specifically suggest a departure from an earlier correct course.)
Antonyms
as planned (Indicates that things happen exactly as intended, the opposite of plans or ideas going astray.)
Themes
thinking
|work
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
not correct or not going as planned, especially when talking about ideas, plans, or numbers
Away from what is correct, accurate, or intended, especially about plans, reasoning, or calculations.
Grammar
Dictionary form
astray
IPA
GB/əstɹˈeɪ/
US/əstɹˈeɪ/
Syllables & stress
astray (1 syllable)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: astray
- Plural: astrays
Word family
Forms
astrays
noun
Core family
stray
verb B1
Expressions
go astray
1/ɡˈoʊ əstɹˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
become lost or go wrong
to become lost, not reach the right place, or not happen in the way that was planned or wanted
Examples
- Some of the checks went astray and never reached the customers.
- Our plans went astray when the train was canceled.
- Good intentions can go astray if people are not careful.
gone astray
1/ɡˈɔn əstɹˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
having become lost or wrong
used to say that something is now lost, missing, or not going as it should
Examples
- Any forms that have gone astray will be resent.
- If your luggage has gone astray, please report it at the desk.
lead someone astray
1/lˈid sˈʌmwˌʌn əstɹˈeɪ/
idiom
cause someone to do wrong
to make someone do bad, foolish, or wrong things, often by giving them bad advice or a bad example
Examples
- He claimed that older boys had led him astray.
- Parents often worry that new friends might lead their children astray.
- She was led astray by people who promised easy money.