astray — Away from the correct path, direction, or course of behavior
Part of speech: ADVERB
Definition: Away from the correct path, direction, or course of behavior
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈstreɪ/
Example Sentences
- The civil servant's career went astray after he was caught napping during a live TV interview.
- Don't let your ambition lead you astray from ethical principles in public service.
- My diet plan went completely astray the moment I saw the fried chicken menu.
astray
ADVERB[/əˈstreɪ/]
Away from the correct path, direction, or course of behavior
The hiker wandered astray after ignoring the trail markers at dusk.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Medieval English 'astray' derives from Old French 'estraier', meaning to wander off or stray, originally describing livestock that had wandered away from pasture. The word evolved from describing ownerless animals roaming freely to encompassing any person or thing that deviates from the correct path or course.
Breakdown
a- (prefix indicating a state or condition) + stray (to wander or deviate, ultimately from Latin 'extra' (outside) + 'vagari' (to wander)).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The civil servant's career went astray after he was caught napping during a live TV interview.”
“Don't let your ambition lead you astray from ethical principles in public service.”
“My diet plan went completely astray the moment I saw the fried chicken menu.”
“The investigation revealed that the funds had gone astray due to poor accounting practices.”
“He was easily led astray by his coworker's promise of a 'guaranteed' lottery number.”
📚Related Words
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