astray
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
away from the right path or in the wrong direction.
away from the correct or intended route; physically lost or misdirected.
Simple“The hikers went astray in the thick fog and couldn't find their camp.”
In context“Several important documents went astray during the office relocation, causing significant delays in the audit process.”
UsageCommonly follows the verbs 'go' or 'lead'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
away from what is right, honest, or correct.
into error, wrongdoing, or moral deviation.
Simple“He was a good student until he was led astray by a bad group of friends.”
In context“The investigation was led astray by a series of misleading tips that pointed toward the wrong suspect.”
UsageFrequently used in the passive construction 'be led astray'.
From Middle English astraien or by apheresis straien, from Old French estraier (“to stray”), from late Medieval Latin extravagari (“to wander beyond”), from Latin extra (“beyond”) + vagārī (“to wander, stray”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.