1 A2 neutral
To remain outside or away from home, especially late at night
"Her parents were worried because she stayed out past midnight."
stay out
A2 neutral intransitive
To remain outside or away from home; also to not become involved in something
In plain English
To not come inside, or to stay away from home late; also to not get involved in something
What does "stay out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 idiomatic informal
To not become involved in someone's affairs or a dispute
"This argument is between them — you should stay out of it."
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
(Of workers) To continue a strike and not return to work
"The union voted to stay out until their demands were met."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To stay (remain) out — not to come inside or not to enter a situation
Actually means
To not come inside, or to stay away from home late; also to not get involved in something
Usage tip
Very common in everyday English. Can describe staying out late socially (she stayed out until midnight), remaining outdoors, or staying uninvolved in a matter (stay out of it). The phrase 'stay out of it' or 'stay out of my business' is a very frequent expression.
Words that pair with "stay out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
late night trouble business affair argument way
How to conjugate "stay out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stay out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stays out
he/she/it
Past simple
stayed out
yesterday
Past participle
stayed out
have + pp
-ing form
staying out
continuous
Hear "stay out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "stay out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "stay out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.