# stay out

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stay-out
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to remain away from home, especially late at night.

For teachers: to remain outdoors or away from one's residence, typically during the evening or night. The verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.

## Examples

- My parents let me stay out until midnight on weekends.
- If you stay out too late, you might miss the last bus home.
- The revelers chose to stay out until the first light of dawn began to illuminate the city streets.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I stayed out the house all night." but "I stayed out all night." — the phrase is intransitive; you cannot put the place directly after 'stay out' without another preposition like 'of'.

## Usage notes

- often followed by a time expression or an adverb like 'late'.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'stay in' (to remain at home) to show how the particle changes the spatial focus of the verb.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.