Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to stay at

to stay at

450 2.0
To live somewhere for a short time, like a hotel or a friend's house
  • phrasal verb
  • /steɪ æt/
translation icon : quedarse en
  • I'll stay at the hotel.
  • stay at home
  • stay at a hotel
  • plan to stay at

And I was staying at this school.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • So many people were attracted to the festival that many stayed at farmhouses in the surrounding countryside.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • I shall be staying at a hotel near the border.

    The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

  • We might be staying at this lovely place tonight.

  • I am currently staying at a friend's lake house.

    Molly Burke

  • A few months ago, I stayed at The Four Seasons in Las Vegas.

    Simon Sinek

  • It's fine to stay at the YMCA.

  • So, we've arranged for you to stay at a hotel.

    Saw X (2023)

  • She wants to stay at Beth-Anne's house for a few weeks.

    What Happens Later (2023)

  • When Beth and I were young, we stayed at an inn on Puget Sound.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • I am currently staying at a friend's lake house.

Synonyms

to stay over
vsto stay at
  • Informal
70 3.0

Sleep at someone else's home for the night

covers temporary residence in various places including hotels and homes
to sleep over
vsto stay at
  • Informal
63 2.8

To stay at someone else's house for the night

is broader, referring to temporary residence in hotels guesthouses or private homes
to lodge in
vsto stay at
15 3.7

To stay in a place often for a short time

refers to short visits in hotels guesthouses or private homes
to lodge
vsto stay at
3 4.4

To give someone a place to stay for a short time

usually implies short visits in hotels guesthouses or private homes

Antonyms

to leave
∞ 1.0

To go away from a place, person, or group

How Long

to settle
463 2.5
to reside
91 3.0
to stay at
450 2.0
to sleep over
  • Informal
63 2.8

Surface Forms

stay at infinitive
stayed at past
stayed at past participle
staying at present participle
stays at third person singular

Morphology

stay + at

The verb 'stay' means to remain and the preposition 'at' marks location, so 'stay at' transparently indicates remaining in a particular place (e.g., a hotel). This locative composition is common across languages and follows regular English verb+preposition patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb stay at creates a simple image: you stay with your bags at a house or hotel for a short time. That's why it means 'to live somewhere temporarily'.