astray
gb/əstɹˈeɪ/ us/əstɹˈeɪ/
B2
English
~ 27900
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
morally or socially off course
behaving in a bad or wrong way, not following good rules or values
Usage pattern:
[someone] goes 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."
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.)
Collocations
go astray
|lead [someone] astray
|be led astray
|morally astray
|young people astray
|astray from the right path
Themes
society
|ethics
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
|law
Examples
- As a teenager he went astray and started getting into serious trouble.
- The charity helps young people who have gone astray to rebuild their lives.
- 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.
- Her parents were afraid she might go astray at college.
- 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.
adverb
B2
property
2
lost or in wrong place
lost or not in the place where it should be, often because it did not reach the right person or place
Usage pattern:
[something] goes astray
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.
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.)
Collocations
letters went astray
|packages go astray
|the email went astray
|a hiker went astray
|documents went astray
|in the post went astray
Themes
daily life
|communication
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Several of the parcels went astray during the postal strike.
- My email must have gone astray because she never replied.
- 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.
- The package went astray in the mail.
- 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.
adverb
C1
property
3
in error or off plan
not correct or not going as planned, especially when talking about ideas, plans, or numbers
Usage pattern:
[plans or ideas] go astray
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."
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.)
Collocations
calculations went astray
|plans went astray
|reasoning goes astray
|thinking went astray
|the argument goes astray
|things can go astray
Themes
thinking
|work
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Somewhere in the middle of the proof, his logic goes astray.
- Their calculations went astray, so the budget was far too low.
- 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.
- My calculations went astray, so the answer is not correct.
- 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.
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.