stray
gb/stɹˈeɪ/ us/stɹˈeɪ/
A2
Inglês
~ 7200
Acepções
0 acepção
Substantivo
B1
entity
1
a homeless domestic animal
A cat, dog, or other pet that lives on the street and does not have an owner.
Padrão de uso:
to take in [a stray]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say *"street dog"* or *"free dog"* when they mean a pet with no owner. In English, *stray* is the usual noun for a homeless cat or dog.
Sinônimos
homeless animal (More explicit and descriptive; sounds slightly more formal and is less idiomatic.)
|
feral (Often used for wild or semi-wild animals; can suggest the animal is not used to humans.)
Antônimos
pet (A pet is an animal that has an owner and a home, which is the opposite of a stray.)
|
owned animal (Explicitly highlights that the animal belongs to someone.)
Colocações
a stray dog
|a stray cat
|pick up strays
|take in strays
|feed a stray
Temas
animals
|daily life
|society
Exemplos
- The shelter takes in dozens of strays every month.
- We found a stray shivering behind the supermarket.
- He adopted a stray and gave it a loving home.
- Children were warned not to approach strays in the area.
Exemplos para estudantes
- They found a stray outside their house.
- The woman feeds the strays on her street.
- The animal shelter cares for many strays.
- He wants to take the stray to a vet.
adjective
A2
property
2
having no home or owner
Describes a cat, dog, or other pet that lives on the street and does not belong to anyone.
Padrão de uso:
[stray] [animal]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say *"lost dog"* when they mean a dog that has always lived on the street. A *lost dog* normally has an owner, but a *stray dog* does not have an owner.
Sinônimos
homeless (General word for people or animals without a home; *stray* is more specific to animals.)
|
unowned (More technical-sounding; used less often in everyday speech.)
Antônimos
owned (Highlights that the animal belongs to someone, the opposite of a stray animal.)
|
domesticated (Suggests care and ownership, contrasted with animals living on the street.)
Colocações
stray dogs
|stray cats
|stray animals
|stray population
|stray dog problem
Temas
animals
|daily life
|society
Exemplos
- Animal control has been catching stray dogs in the neighborhood.
- She volunteers at a clinic that treats stray cats.
- The city started a program to reduce the number of stray animals.
- We heard a soft cry from a stray kitten under the car.
Exemplos para estudantes
- There are many stray dogs in this town.
- We saw a small stray cat in the park.
- The city wants to help stray animals.
- He took a stray dog home.
Verbo
B1
action
3
move away from a place or path
To go away from the place, path, or group where you should stay, usually by accident.
Padrão de uso:
to stray from [a place/route/group]
Erro comum:
Learners may use *"go"* instead of *stray*, but *stray* adds the idea that the movement is not planned or not safe. Saying *"The child went from his parents"* is incorrect; it should be *"The child strayed from his parents"* or *"The child walked away from his parents."*
Sinônimos
wander (Suggests slow, relaxed movement without a clear direction; not always unintended.)
|
drift (Often suggests slow movement without control, sometimes by wind or water.)
Antônimos
stay (Means to remain in the same place instead of moving away.)
|
keep to (As in *keep to the path*; means to remain on a set route.)
Colocações
stray from the path
|stray into the road
|stray too far
|stray off course
|stray from the group
Temas
movement
|travel
|daily life
|transportation
Exemplos
- The child strayed from his parents in the crowd.
- Hikers are advised not to stray from the marked trail.
- One of the sheep had strayed into a neighboring field.
- Make sure the dog doesn’t stray into the road.
Exemplos para estudantes
- The boy strayed from his mother in the store.
- Do not stray from the path in the forest.
- The cow strayed into the street.
- Our dog often strays when we go for a walk.
Verbo
B2
action
4
move away from a subject or plan
To move away from the main idea or plan and start talking, thinking, or acting in a different direction.
Padrão de uso:
to stray from [the topic/point/plan]
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse *stray from the topic* with *change the topic*. *Stray from the topic* suggests moving away without control or by mistake, while *change the topic* is a clear, intentional action.
Sinônimos
digress (More formal; mainly used for talking or writing that moves away from the main subject.)
|
deviate (More formal and often used about rules or plans.)
Antônimos
stick to (As in *stick to the topic*; means to continue with the same subject or plan.)
|
stay on (As in *stay on topic*; means to remain focused on the main subject.)
Colocações
stray from the topic
|stray from the point
|stray from the main issue
|stray from the script
|stray from the plan
Temas
communication
|thinking
|work
|education
Exemplos
- Let’s not stray from the main topic of this meeting.
- His comments often stray from the point and confuse the audience.
- The project has strayed from its original goals.
- She tried not to stray from her prepared notes.
Exemplos para estudantes
- Please do not stray from the topic in class.
- The writer sometimes strays from the main story.
- Our plan strayed from the original idea.
- He often strays from the point when he speaks.
adjective
B2
property
5
not in the correct place; accidental
Describes a thing that is in the wrong place or happens by accident, not on purpose.
Padrão de uso:
[stray] [object/shot/thought/hair]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes think *stray* here only means "small". It actually means the thing is not where it should be, or it happened by accident, like a bullet hitting the wrong place or a hair out of place.
Sinônimos
random (Suggests lack of pattern or purpose; *stray* adds the idea of being out of place or accidental.)
|
accidental (Focuses on not being planned; *stray* also suggests separation from where it should be.)
Antônimos
intentional (Describes something done on purpose, not by accident.)
|
aimed (Opposes *stray* in contexts like bullets or shots that hit the wrong target.)
Colocações
stray bullet
|stray hair
|stray thought
|stray remark
|stray light
Temas
daily life
|safety
|thoughts
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Exemplos
- A stray bullet came through the window.
- She brushed a stray hair from her face.
- He tried to ignore the stray thoughts that distracted him from work.
- One stray remark started a huge argument.
Exemplos para estudantes
- A stray bullet hit the wall.
- She saw a stray hair on his jacket.
- He wrote down a stray thought in his notebook.
- One stray word can hurt someone.
Verbo
C1
action
6
be romantically unfaithful
To cheat on your husband, wife, or partner by being romantic or sexual with another person.
Padrão de uso:
to stray from [a partner/marriage]
Erro comum:
Learners may think *stray* here means only "leave". It specifically suggests romantic or sexual unfaithfulness, not just physically going away.
Sinônimos
cheat (More direct and informal; clearly states that someone is being unfaithful.)
|
be unfaithful (More formal and explicit; focuses on breaking trust in a relationship.)
Antônimos
stay faithful (Means to remain loyal to one partner and not be romantic with others.)
|
remain loyal (Emphasizes continued emotional and sexual loyalty to a partner.)
Colocações
stray from the marriage
|stray outside the relationship
|tempted to stray
|never strayed
Temas
relationships
|emotions
|society
Exemplos
- He admitted that he had strayed during their marriage.
- She said she would never stray from her husband.
- After twenty years together, neither of them has ever strayed.
- He was tempted to stray but decided to end the relationship instead.
Exemplos para estudantes
- He strayed from his wife and now they have problems.
- She says she will not stray from her partner.
- They have been married for many years and have never strayed.
- He was afraid he might stray if he stayed in that situation.
Substantivo
B2
entity
7
an accidentally misdirected projectile
A bullet or similar thing that goes to the wrong place by accident and hits something or someone that was not the target.
Padrão de uso:
a stray [bullet/shot]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes think *stray* as a noun here still means an animal. In news reports, *a stray* can also mean a stray bullet or shot, especially when the context is about violence or shooting.
Sinônimos
misdirected shot (More technical description; less common in everyday speech.)
Antônimos
aimed shot (A shot that goes where it is intended, the opposite of a stray shot.)
Colocações
a stray bullet
|hit by a stray
|killed by a stray bullet
Temas
safety
|crime
|news
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- The boy was injured by a stray during the fight.
- A stray bullet broke the restaurant window.
- Two people were killed by strays in the crossfire.
- Police said the victim was hit by a stray and was not involved in the conflict.
Exemplos para estudantes
- She was hit by a stray during the shooting.
- The news said a stray bullet killed a man.
- A stray went through the car window.
- He was not a target; he died from a stray.
Gramática
Forma no dicionário
stray
AFI
GB/stɹˈeɪ/
US/stɹˈeɪ/
Sílabas e tonicidade
stray (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (stray)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: stray
Noun
- Base: stray
- Plural: strays
Verb
- Base: stray
- 3rd Person Singular: strays
- Present Participle: straying
- Past: strayed
Família de palavras
Forms
strays
noun
straying
verb
strayed
verb
Related words
astray
adverb B2
Expressões
stray from the path
1/stɹˈeɪ fɹˈʌm ðə pˈæθ/
fixed phrase
move away from a route or way
To go away from the way you should follow, either a real road or a correct way of behaving.
Exemplos
- Hikers were warned not to stray from the path in the mountains.
- In his teens he briefly strayed from the path, but later turned his life around.
stray from the point
1/stɹˈeɪ fɹˈʌm ðə pˈɔɪnt/
fixed phrase
move away from main subject
To stop talking about the main idea and start talking about something different.
Exemplos
- You’re straying from the point; let’s focus on the budget.
- The speaker often strays from the point and loses the audience.
stray off course
1/stɹˈeɪ ˈɔf kˈɔɹs/
fixed phrase
leave the planned direction or route
To move away from the direction or plan you should follow, especially when traveling or working on a goal.
Exemplos
- The plane strayed off course due to strong winds.
- Halfway through the project, the team began to stray off course.
stray too far
1/stɹˈeɪ tˈu fˈɑɹ/
fixed phrase
go beyond a safe or proper limit
To go too far away from a place, rule, or idea that is safe or correct.
Exemplos
- Don’t stray too far from the house, kids.
- Some of his jokes stray too far and make people uncomfortable.