Meaning & use

astray

adverb·Academic

Away from the correct path, purpose, or expected course of behavior.

See it in a sentence

The hikers wandered astray when the trail markers disappeared into the thick fog.

Bad advice led him astray, and he made several costly decisions that year.

A note on using this word

Astray almost always follows a verb like 'go,' 'lead,' or 'wander,' and rarely appears directly before a noun.

Words with a similar meaning

off course

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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