Meaning & use
stay rad
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseslanginformal
Used as a casual way to tell someone to keep being cool, exciting, or true to themselves.
Grammar: Used as a standalone phrase or sign-off; it does not take an object.
Patterns
- stay rad!
- stay rad, [name]
Have an awesome summer, stay rad!
After the show, he signed my board with 'Stay rad, dude.'
She texted 'stay rad' before her flight took off.
phrasefixed phraseslanginformal
Used to encourage someone to keep doing something in an excellent or impressive way.
Grammar: Often follows a description of what someone is doing well.
Patterns
- stay rad at something
- stay rad doing something
You're killing it at practice — stay rad.
Keep making those videos and stay rad.
The coach told the team to stay rad and enjoy the game.
Common combinations
- stay rad, dude
- He waved and said, 'Stay rad, dude.'
- stay rad forever
- The sticker on her laptop said 'Stay rad forever.'
- stay rad and keep skating
- The note read, 'Stay rad and keep skating.'
- tell someone to stay rad
- I told my little brother to stay rad before his first competition.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stay cool
- More general and slightly less tied to youth or skate culture; it can also mean 'stay calm'.
- keep it real
- Focuses on being genuine rather than exciting or impressive.
- rock on
- Also an informal encouragement, but often said about music or a performance.
Commonly confused: stay rad or stay red?
stay rad vs stay red
Sounds similar, but 'stay red' is literal and means to remain the color red.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'stay rad' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Stay rad' is a fixed informal phrase used to encourage someone, so the contest sentence fits. 'Stay rad the door open' and 'stay rad at the hotel' confuse it with 'stay' meaning remain or lodge, and 'stay rad in the fridge' sounds like it means stay fresh.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stay rad”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.