tarry
gb/tˈɛɹiɚ/ us/tˈɛɹiɚ/
C1
Anglais
~ 9700
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
literary
C1
action
1
delay leaving or linger
to stay in a place and not leave when people expect you to leave
Schéma d’usage :
to tarry [somewhere] / to tarry [for a while]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use "tarry" in everyday spoken English where "wait" or "stay" would be more natural. In modern casual speech, "tarry" sounds formal or old-fashioned, so it is usually better to say "linger", "wait", or "stay".
Synonymes
linger (more common modern word; suggests staying longer than necessary, often because you want to)
|
delay (focuses more on being late or causing lateness, less on the idea of staying in one place)
Antonymes
depart (emphasizes leaving a place, the opposite of staying longer)
|
hurry (focuses on moving or acting quickly instead of being slow to leave)
Collocations
tarry a while
|tarry here
|tarry too long
|tarry over
|tarry in [a place]
Thèmes
time
|movement
|social
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- We must not tarry if we hope to reach the village before dark.
- She tarried in the doorway, unsure whether to say goodbye.
- The committee tarried over the decision for several hours.
- He tarried at the station until the last train had gone.
- Do not tarry; the guests are already waiting for you.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We cannot tarry; the bus is coming now.
- He tarried in the room and did not go home.
- Please do not tarry after class today.
- She tarried at the shop and came home late.
- They tarried in the park until it was dark.
Verbe
archaic
C2
action
2
stay or sojourn somewhere
to stay and live in a place for a short time
Schéma d’usage :
to tarry in [a place] / to tarry with [someone]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may not realize this sense is old-fashioned and mostly found in historical or religious texts. In modern English, use "stay" or "spend time" instead of "tarry" for temporary living.
Synonymes
stay (very common and neutral; does not have the old-fashioned or literary feel of "tarry")
|
sojourn (formal and literary; emphasizes a temporary stay, similar register to this sense of "tarry")
Antonymes
leave (basic opposite of remaining in a place)
|
resettle (suggests moving to live somewhere more permanently, the opposite of a brief stay)
Collocations
tarry in the city
|tarry a season
|tarry with friends
|tarry for the night
Thèmes
travel
|time
|social
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- They tarried in the port town for the winter before sailing on.
- The travelers tarried with us for three nights and then continued their journey.
- He chose to tarry in London a little longer, hoping for news.
- We tarried there a month, enjoying the warm weather and quiet streets.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We tarried in the village for one week.
- The man tarried with his sister during the holiday.
- They tarried in the small town before they moved on.
- She tarried at her aunt’s house for two nights.
adjective
technical
C1
property
3
having a tar-like quality
dark, thick, and sticky like tar, or covered in tar
Schéma d’usage :
tarry [substance] / tarry [residue]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse "tarry" with the noun "tar" or think it means "slow" because of the verb meaning. As an adjective, it only describes something that looks or feels like tar, especially in technical or medical contexts.
Synonymes
tar-like (more transparent descriptive phrase; used especially in technical or everyday explanations)
|
pitchy (literary/technical; also refers to dark, sticky material like tar or pitch)
Antonymes
watery (emphasizes being thin and runny, the opposite of thick and tar-like)
|
clean (in contexts of surfaces or materials, covered with tar versus not dirty or coated)
Collocations
tarry residue
|tarry deposits
|tarry substance
|tarry stools
|tarry material
Thèmes
science
|materials
|medicine
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The chimney was lined with a tarry residue from years of burning wood.
- Doctors noted that the patient had black, tarry stools, which required urgent investigation.
- A thick, tarry substance leaked from the damaged pipe.
- The inside of the tank was coated in a tarry film.
Exemples pédagogiques
- A dark, tarry liquid came out of the machine.
- The road workers wore gloves to touch the tarry mix.
- The pan had a tarry layer after the oil burned.
- The doctor asked about any black, tarry stools.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
tarry
API
GB/tˈɛɹiɚ/
US/tˈɛɹiɚ/
Syllabes et accentuation
tarry (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (tarry)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: tarry
- 3rd Person Singular: tarries
- Present Participle: tarrying
- Past: tarried
Famille de mots
Forms
tarries
verb
tarrying
verb
tarried
verb
Related words
tardy
adjective
tardiness
noun
Expressions
tarry a while
1/tˈɛɹiɚ ə wˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
literary
stay a bit longer
to stay in a place a little longer before you go
Exemples
- Won't you tarry a while and have another cup of tea?
- He asked her to tarry a while by the fire before returning to her room.
tarry not
1/tˈɛɹiɚ nˈɑt/
fixed phrase
archaic
do not delay or linger
do not wait or stay; go now or act now
Exemples
- "Tarry not," the messenger cried, "for the king awaits your answer."
- The inscription urged travelers, "Tarry not on this road after dark."