What does stayed mean?
Stayed is the past tense and past participle of the verb stay. It commonly describes remaining in one place, as in “The guests stayed for dinner,” but it can also mean continuing in a particular condition or situation: “The noise stayed at a low level.” In the second sense, stayed often suggests that something persisted without significant change. The form is used in British and American English, including in compound tenses and passive constructions such as “The letter was sent” or, here, “The decision was stayed.” It can also function as an adjective before a noun in relatively formal or literary expressions, such as “a stayed mind.” Most often, however, stayed simply marks an event or state in the past.
Remained in the same place, condition, or situation; continued without leaving or changing.
"The delegation stayed in London for three days."
Standard in British and American English as the past tense and past participle of stay.
Remaining or continuing in a particular state; lasting or unchanged.
"The company reported a stayed increase in demand."
This use is relatively uncommon and more typical of formal or literary English than of everyday speech.
Stayed captures the past tense of remain, but it can also mean something continued without interruption.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stayed come from?
The word stay ultimately comes from Old French ester, meaning “to remain,” which was borrowed from Latin stare, “to stand.” The modern English form developed through changes in pronunciation and the influence of related words such as stay and station. Its Latin relatives include state, status, stable, and station, all of which reflect the root idea of standing or being established.
Related word forms
How stayed is actually used
Stayed is standard in both British and American English. As the past tense and past participle of stay, it is used with both a subject and an auxiliary in constructions such as 'had stayed.'
Easily confused with stayed
Stayed is the past tense of stay, while staid is an adjective meaning formal, serious, or old-fashioned.