astray

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əˈstɹeɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #13035

Meanings

1

adv
Away from the correct path, place, or direction.

The letter went astray in the post and never arrived.
2

adv
Away from what is right or good, into error or wrongdoing.

He blamed his new friends for leading him astray.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · away from the correct path,... wide

Word family

Related forms estray stray

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

led astray
guided away from the correct direction or into error

Verb + adverb

Proverbs (1)

See all

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray

Etymology

From Middle English astraien or by apheresis straien, from Old French estraier (“to stray”), from late Medieval Latin extravagari (“to wander beyond”), from Latin extra (“beyond”) + vagārī (“to wander, stray”).

astraien Middle English estraier Old French extravagari la-med extra Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# astray

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /əˈstɹeɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 13035

## Meanings
1. Away from the correct path, place, or direction.
2. Away from what is right or good, into error or wrongdoing.

## Examples
- The letter went astray in the post and never arrived.
- He blamed his new friends for leading him astray.

## Related Forms
- estray
- stray

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: astraien
- Root: estraier
- Root: extravagari
- Root: extra

## Etymology
From Middle English astraien or by apheresis straien, from Old French estraier (“to stray”), from late Medieval Latin extravagari (“to wander beyond”), from Latin extra (“beyond”) + vagārī (“to wander, stray”).

## AI Etymology
Astray is from Middle English astraien or by apheresis straien, from Old French estraier (“to stray”), from late Medieval Latin extravagari (“to wander beyond”), from Latin extra (“beyond”) + vagārī (“to wander, stray”). In present-day use, it can mean away from the correct path, place, or direction, or away from what is right or good, into error or wrongdoing. Related vocabulary includes estray and stray.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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