1 A2 informal
To spend the night at a location other than one's own home
"It's too late to drive home — why don't you just stay over?"
stay over
A2 informal intransitive
To spend the night at someone else's home or at a different location than one's own home
In plain English
To sleep at someone else's house instead of going home
What does "stay over" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To extend a stay in a city or country by spending extra nights
"We decided to stay over in Rome for an extra night before flying home."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To stay over (through the night) at a place
Actually means
To sleep at someone else's house instead of going home
Usage tip
Common in both British and American English. Very natural in social contexts. 'Stay over' is slightly more adult than 'sleep over', though both are informal. Often used when travel is impractical or when visiting friends and family.
Words that pair with "stay over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
friend's place house night weekend parents'
How to conjugate "stay over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stay over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stays over
he/she/it
Past simple
stayed over
yesterday
Past participle
stayed over
have + pp
-ing form
staying over
continuous
Hear "stay over" in the wild
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Other ways to say "stay over"
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