stay away

not go near a place or person

B1

What does "stay away" mean?

To stay away means to keep yourself at a distance from a place, person, or thing — either physically or in a more general sense. It describes an ongoing state of avoidance, not a single action. You might stay away from a dangerous area, from someone you've had a conflict with, or from something tempting or harmful. The phrase is very common in advice and warnings, and it works both literally (not going near a place) and figuratively (avoiding a topic, a substance, or a situation). It almost always appears with 'from' when a specific person or thing is mentioned.

Examples

How to use it

stay away from + person/place/thing

This is the most common structure. Use 'from' to introduce what is being avoided — never use a direct object without 'from'.

The vet told us to stay away from the area where the dogs were fighting.

stay away (no object)

When the context makes it clear what is being avoided, you can drop 'from' and its object entirely.

He kept calling her, but she told him to stay away.

imperative: stay away (from + object)

The imperative is very common in warnings, signs, and direct instructions to someone.

Stay away from the edge — it's not safe up there.

modal + stay away from + thing

Modal verbs like 'should', 'need to', and 'must' are frequently used with this phrasal verb when giving advice.

If you want to sleep better, you should stay away from coffee in the evening.

told/warned/advised + to stay away (from + object)

This pattern is common in reporting what someone was instructed to do.

Residents were warned to stay away from the flooded road until further notice.

Common Collocations

stay away from troublestay away from someonestay away from school/workstay away from drugs/alcoholstay away from the areatold/warned to stay away

Common Mistakes

Missing 'from' before the object

When you mention what you are avoiding, you must use 'from' before it. Learners sometimes leave it out, but this is not correct in English.

✗ You should stay away bad influences.
✓ You should stay away from bad influences.
Using 'stay away' with a direct object like 'keep away'

'Keep away' can be used transitively to mean you stop something or someone from approaching (e.g. 'keep the dog away from the food'), but 'stay away' cannot. It is always intransitive — it describes your own action of keeping distance.

✗ She stayed away him for weeks after the argument.
✓ She stayed away from him for weeks after the argument.
Confusing 'stay away' with 'go away'

'Go away' describes the act of leaving a place. 'Stay away' describes the continued state of not approaching or returning. They are not interchangeable.

✗ The sign said 'Go away from the construction site.'
✓ The sign said 'Stay away from the construction site.'

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both spoken and written English. The imperative form ('Stay away!') is very common in warnings and arguments, while modal forms like 'you should stay away from it' are typical in advice-giving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'stay away' be used for things like food, topics, or habits — not just places and people?

Yes, absolutely. 'Stay away from' is very commonly used in a figurative sense to talk about avoiding substances, habits, topics, or situations. For example, 'I'm trying to stay away from junk food' or 'He prefers to stay away from politics' are both completely natural.

Is it natural to say 'I am staying away from him'?

It can sound a little unnatural in most situations because 'stay away' usually describes a general state of avoidance rather than something happening right now. It's more natural to say 'I've been staying away from him' or simply 'I'm avoiding him' if you want to describe something currently in progress.

Can I use 'stay away' without mentioning what I'm avoiding?

Yes, when it's already clear from the conversation what the person should avoid, you can simply say 'Stay away!' or 'I told you to stay away.' The 'from' phrase is only needed when you want to name the specific person, place, or thing.

Does 'stay away' have the same meaning as 'keep away'?

They are very similar, but there is one important difference. 'Keep away' can be used to talk about stopping someone else from approaching something — for example, 'Keep the children away from the road.' 'Stay away' only describes your own action of keeping distance and cannot be used in this way.

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