to stay away
590
1.6
- phrasal verb
:
mantenerse alejado
- During flu season, it's best to stay away from crowded places to avoid getting sick.
- stay away from people
- stay away from drugs
- try to stay away
You know, stay away from that one, folks.
- You know, stay away from that one, folks.
- So just the standard sort of things, wash your hands, stay away from people that are sick.
- So I've lately been kind of staying away from the glosses.
- And so his family has always told him to stay away from books.
- if there's such a thing. And every day I try to stay away from that road
- But when your intuition says, you know, maybe you should stay away or this isn't good, you feel that resistance inside.
- I'm just kind of staying away from death, inshallah.
- People are, I thought to stay away from them, kind of people listen.
- And if it's not, then stay away, right?
Examples
-
Head to a basement if you've got one - and stay away from windows.
-
I told him to stay away from that corner.
-
So I would stay away initially from doing this.
-
Like really work at staying away from that question.
-
You know, stay away from that one, folks.
-
Come on, stay away, stay away from them.
-
And so his family has always told him to stay away from books.
-
I want you to stay away from my son.
-
So just the standard sort of things, wash your hands, stay away from people that are sick.
-
Sometimes it's better to stay away than to hear what is hurtful.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening
∞
2.3
To avoid touching and disturbing a person, animal or object
384
2.3
Avoid going near people or places for safety
356
2.8
Move away from someone, or stop taking part in something
235
4.0
To move back from a place or plan to avoid danger
187
1.6
Stop someone or something from coming near
159
1.6
Move away and keep a safe distance from something or someone for safety
127
2.4
To stay away from a place, person, or thing
92
2.9
To avoid dealing with a problem or responsibility
86
3.5
To move away from people or a place to create space
77
5.7
To make yourself less involved with someone or something
75
7.0
Keep away from someone or something to show no connection
57
2.6
Avoid walking on places like wet grass or a freshly painted floor
56
3.8
To avoid getting involved in an argument or fight
43
3.2
To stop other people from getting close to you emotionally
42
3.6
Not to touch or interfere with something that belongs to someone else
41
4.6
Avoid doing something because you feel afraid or unsure
34
4.0
To stay away from people and things that may cause trouble or harm
32
3.9
To stay away from people or things to avoid close contact
31
1.0
To stay outside a place and not go in
26
4.6
To avoid someone or something and refuse to meet and speak to them on purpose
23
8.9
To avoid something on purpose
15
3.7
To refuse to have anything to do with someone or something
13
4.4
To move back from a place or activity to avoid danger and trouble
10
6.3
To avoid getting too close to someone or something, often emotionally
1
7.7
To move quietly to the side and away so people do not notice you
Antonyms
How Distant
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to keep a distance from or avoid someone/something' is directly derived from combining 'stay' (to remain) with 'away' (at a distance), so the phrase is compositional. This motion/locative particle pattern is common across languages and follows standard English verb + adverb construction, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand it.
Etymology
Stay away is a plain, literal phrase made of stay meaning 'remain' and away meaning 'at a distance'. Imagine someone being told to stand back from a dangerous dog and not come near, and that's why it means 'to keep a distance' or 'to avoid'.