Remain vs. Stay — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 27, 2023
Remain often indicates a state or condition, while Stay implies a temporary halt or pause. Though both suggest continuance, Remain feels more passive and Stay more active.
Difference Between Remain and Stay
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Key Differences
Remain often conveys a sense of being left after others have gone or things have changed. It can highlight an unchanged state or condition. Stay, on the other hand, generally indicates a conscious choice to not leave a place or situation. It's more about a temporary pause or holding one's position.
In many contexts, Remain and Stay can be used interchangeably without significantly altering the message. For instance, "Please remain in your seats" and "Please stay in your seats" both convey the same instruction. However, the nuance in Remain tends to highlight the continuity, while Stay emphasizes the action of not moving.
When discussing feelings or conditions, Remain is more suitable. For instance, one might say "The mystery remains unsolved." Using Stay in such contexts would sound unnatural. Conversely, when referring to a temporary situation, Stay feels more apt, as in "I'll stay here until you return."
Another distinction is in the realm of commands or requests. Asking someone to "remain calm" is a plea for continued composure. In contrast, telling someone to "stay calm" implies there might be reasons coming up that could agitate them. Hence, Stay can often carry a sense of impending change.
Comparison Chart
Nature
More passive
More active
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Usage
Indicates a state or condition
Implies a temporary halt or pause
In Commands
Emphasizes continuity
Suggests resistance to change
In Feelings/States
More apt (e.g., mystery remains unsolved)
Less common
Interchangeability
Often interchangeable
Depends on context
Compare with Definitions
Remain
Continue to exist, especially after other similar things have ceased.
The old traditions still remain in the village.
Stay
Not move away from or leave a place or situation.
Please stay here while I check the other room.
Remain
Be left to be dealt with.
Several issues remain to be resolved.
Stay
Live somewhere temporarily as a visitor or guest.
We stayed at a cozy bed-and-breakfast.
Remain
Stay in the same place.
Please remain seated until the performance ends.
Stay
Remain in a specified state or position.
Stay calm and don't panic.
Remain
Continue to possess a particular quality or fulfill a particular role.
He remained a loyal friend until the end.
Stay
Stop, delay, or prevent something.
Rain stayed the start of the game.
Remain
Be left over after other parts have been completed or removed.
Only a few tasks remain to be done.
Stay
To continue to be in a place or condition
Stay home.
Stay calm.
Remain
To continue in the same state or condition
These matters remain in doubt.
Stay
To remain or sojourn as a guest or lodger
Stayed at a motel.
Remain
To continue to be in the same place; stay or stay behind
We are remaining at home.
Stay
To linger or wait in order to do or experience something
We stayed to watch the final minutes of the game.
Remain
To be left after the removal, loss, passage, or destruction of others
Only a few trees remained after the storm. ].
Stay
To continue or persist in an action or activity
Stayed with the original plan.
Stayed in college.
Remain
That which is left; relic; remainder.
Stay
To keep up in a race or contest
Tried to stay with the lead runner.
Remain
(in the plural) That which is left of a human being after the life is gone; relics; a dead body.
Stay
(Games) To meet a bet in poker without raising it.
Remain
Posthumous works or productions, especially literary works.
Stay
(Archaic) To stop moving or stop doing something.
Remain
(obsolete) State of remaining; stay.
Stay
To remain during
Stayed the week with my parents.
Stayed the duration of the game.
Remain
To stay after others or other parts have been removed or otherwise disappeared.
After three rounds of interviews, only 5 candidates remained.
I like to make more than enough food if I have people round for dinner, so I can eat my way through what remains in the following days.
Stay
To stop or restrain; check
Doubt stayed his hand.
Remain
(mathematics) To be left after a number or quantity has been subtracted or cut off; to be left as not included or comprised.
If you divide 20 apples between three people, each gets six and two remain.
Stay
To suspend by legal order the implementation of (a planned action), especially pending further proceedings
Stay a prisoner's execution.
Remain
To continue unchanged in place, form, or condition, or undiminished in quantity; to abide; to stay; to endure; to last.
Stay
To satisfy or appease temporarily
Stayed his anger.
Remain
To await; to be left to.
Stay
(Archaic) To wait for; await
"I will not stay thy questions. Let me go.
/ Or if thou follow me, do not believe / But I shall do thee mischief in the wood" (Shakespeare).
Remain
(copulative) To continue in a state of being.
There was no food in the house, so I had to remain hungry.
The light remained red for two full minutes.
Stay
To brace, support, or prop up
The tower is stayed with cables.
Remain
To stay behind while others withdraw; to be left after others have been removed or destroyed; to be left after a number or quantity has been subtracted or cut off; to be left as not included or comprised.
Gather up the fragments that remain.
Of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
That . . . remains to be proved.
Stay
To put (a ship) on the opposite tack or to come about.
Remain
To continue unchanged in place, form, or condition, or undiminished in quantity; to abide; to stay; to endure; to last.
Remain a widow at thy father's house.
Childless thou art; childless remain.
Stay
A brief period of residence or visiting.
Remain
To await; to be left to.
The easier conquest now remains thee.
Stay
The order by which a planned action is stayed.
Remain
State of remaining; stay.
Which often, since my here remain in England,I 've seen him do.
Stay
The consequence of such an order.
Remain
That which is left; relic; remainder; - chiefly in the plural.
When this remain of horror has entirely subsided.
Stay
The act of halting; check.
Remain
That which is left of a human being after the life is gone; relics; a dead body.
Old warriors whose adored remainsIn weeping vaults her hallowed earth contains!
Stay
The act of coming to a halt.
Remain
The posthumous works or productions, esp. literary works, of one who is dead; as, Cecil's
Stay
A support or brace.
Remain
Stay the same; remain in a certain state;
The dress remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it
Rest assured
Stay alone
He remained unmoved by her tears
The bad weather continued for another week
Stay
A strip of bone, plastic, or metal, used to stiffen a garment or part, such as a corset or shirt collar.
Remain
Continue in a place, position, or situation;
After graduation, she stayed on in Cambridge as a student adviser
Stay with me, please
Despite student protests, he remained Dean for another year
She continued as deputy mayor for another year
Stay
Stays A corset.
Remain
Be left; of persons, questions, problems, results, evidence, etc.;
There remains the question of who pulled the trigger
Carter remains the only President in recent history under whose Presidency the U.S. did not fight a war
Stay
(Nautical) A heavy rope or cable, usually of wire, used as a brace or support for a mast or spar.
Remain
Stay behind;
The smell stayed in the room
The hostility remained long after they made up
Stay
A rope used to steady, guide, or brace.
Stay
(transitive) To prop; support; sustain; hold up; steady.
Stay
(transitive) To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in part or for the time.
Stay
To stop; detain; keep back; delay; hinder.
Stay
To restrain; withhold; check; stop.
Stay
To cause to cease; to put an end to.
Stay
To put off; defer; postpone; delay; keep back.
The governor stayed the execution until the appeal could be heard.
Stay
(transitive) To hold the attention of. en
Stay
To bear up under; to endure; to hold out against; to resist.
Stay
To wait for; await.
Stay
To remain for the purpose of; to stay to take part in or be present at (a meal, ceremony etc.).
Stay
To rest; depend; rely.
Stay
To stop; come to a stand or standstill.
Stay
To come to an end; cease.
That day the storm stayed.
Stay
To dwell; linger; tarry; wait.
Stay
To make a stand; to stand firm.
Stay
(intransitive) To hold out, as in a race or contest; last or persevere to the end; to show staying power.
That horse stays well.
Stay
(intransitive) To remain in a particular place, especially for a definite or short period of time; sojourn; abide.
We stayed in Hawaii for a week.
I can only stay for an hour.
Stay
To wait; rest in patience or expectation.
Stay
To wait as an attendant; give ceremonious or submissive attendance.
Stay
To continue to have a particular quality.
Wear gloves so your hands stay warm.
Stay
To live; reside
Hey, where do you stay at?
Stay
To brace or support with a stay or stays
Stay a mast
Stay
To incline forward, aft, or to one side by means of stays.
Stay
To tack; put on the other tack.
To stay ship
Stay
To change; tack; go about; be in stays, as a ship.
Stay
Continuance or a period of time spent in a place; abode for an indefinite time.
I hope you enjoyed your stay in Hawaii.
Stay
(legal) A postponement, especially of an execution or other punishment.
The governor granted a stay of execution.
Stay
(archaic) A stop; a halt; a break or cessation of action, motion, or progress.
Stand at a stay
Stay
A fixed state; fixedness; stability; permanence.
Stay
(nautical) A station or fixed anchorage for vessels.
Stay
Restraint of passion; prudence; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety.
Stay
(obsolete) Hindrance; let; check.
Stay
A prop; a support.
Stay
A piece of stiff material, such as plastic or whalebone, used to stiffen a piece of clothing.
Where are the stays for my collar?
Stay
(in the plural) A corset.
Stay
(archaic) A fastening for a garment; a hook; a clasp; anything to hang another thing on.
Stay
(nautical) A strong rope or wire supporting a mast, and leading from one masthead down to some other, or other part of the vessel.
Stay
A guy, rope, or wire supporting or stabilizing a platform, such as a bridge, a pole, such as a tentpole, the mast of a derrick, or other structural element.
The engineer insisted on using stays for the scaffolding.
Stay
The transverse piece in a chain-cable link.
Stay
Steep; ascending.
Stay
(of a roof) Steeply pitched.
Stay
Difficult to negotiate; not easy to access; sheer.
Stay
Stiff; upright; unbending; reserved; haughty; proud.
Stay
Steeply.
Stay
A large, strong rope, employed to support a mast, by being extended from the head of one mast down to some other, or to some part of the vessel. Those which lead forward are called fore-and-aft stays; those which lead to the vessel's side are called backstays. See Illust. of Ship.
Stay
That which serves as a prop; a support.
Trees serve as so many stays for their vines.
Lord Liverpool is the single stay of this ministry.
Stay
A corset stiffened with whalebone or other material, worn by women, and rarely by men.
How the strait stays the slender waist constrain.
Stay
Continuance in a place; abode for a space of time; sojourn; as, you make a short stay in this city.
Make haste, and leave thy business and thy care;No mortal interest can be worth thy stay.
Embrace the hero and his stay implore.
Stay
Cessation of motion or progression; stand; stop.
Made of sphere metal, never to decayUntil his revolution was at stay.
Affairs of state seemed rather to stand at a stay.
Stay
Hindrance; let; check.
They were able to read good authors without any stay, if the book were not false.
Stay
Restraint of passion; moderation; caution; steadiness; sobriety.
The wisdom, stay, and moderation of the king.
With prudent stay he long deferredThe rough contention.
Stay
Strictly, a part in tension to hold the parts together, or stiffen them.
Stay
To stop from motion or falling; to prop; to fix firmly; to hold up; to support.
Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side.
Sallows and reeds . . . for vineyards useful foundTo stay thy vines.
Stay
To support from sinking; to sustain with strength; to satisfy in part or for the time.
He has devoured a whole loaf of bread and butter, and it has not staid his stomach for a minute.
Stay
To bear up under; to endure; to support; to resist successfully.
She will not stay the siege of loving terms,Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes.
Stay
To hold from proceeding; to withhold; to restrain; to stop; to hold.
Him backward overthrew and down him stayedWith their rude hands and grisly grapplement.
All that may stay their minds from thinking that true which they heartily wish were false.
Stay
To hinder; to delay; to detain; to keep back.
Your ships are stayed at Venice.
This business staid me in London almost a week.
I was willing to stay my reader on an argument that appeared to me new.
Stay
To remain for the purpose of; to wait for.
Stay
To cause to cease; to put an end to.
Stay your strife.
For flattering planets seemed to sayThis child should ills of ages stay.
Stay
To fasten or secure with stays; as, to stay a flat sheet in a steam boiler.
Stay
To tack, as a vessel, so that the other side of the vessel shall be presented to the wind.
Stay
To remain; to continue in a place; to abide fixed for a space of time; to stop; to stand still.
She would command the hasty sun to stay.
Stay, I command you; stay and hear me first.
I stay a little longer, as one staysTo cover up the embers that still burn.
Stay
To continue in a state.
The flames augment, and stayAt their full height, then languish to decay.
Stay
To wait; to attend; to forbear to act.
I 'll tell thee all my whole deviceWhen I am in my coach, which stays for us.
The father can not stay any longer for the fortune.
Stay
To dwell; to tarry; to linger.
I must stay a little on one action.
Stay
To rest; to depend; to rely; to stand; to insist.
I stay here on my bond.
Ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon.
Stay
To come to an end; to cease; as, that day the storm stayed.
Here my commission stays.
Stay
To hold out in a race or other contest; as, a horse stays well.
Stay
To change tack, as a ship.
Stay
Continuing or remaining in a place or state;
They had a nice stay in Paris
A lengthy hospital stay
A four-month stay in bankruptcy court
Stay
A judicial order forbidding some action until an event occurs or the order is lifted;
The Supreme Court has the power to stay an injunction pending an appeal to the whole Court
Stay
The state of inactivity following an interruption;
The negotiations were in arrest
Held them in check
During the halt he got some lunch
The momentary stay enabled him to escape the blow
He spent the entire stop in his seat
Stay
(nautical) brace consisting of a heavy rope or wire cable used as a support for a mast or spar
Stay
A thin strip of metal or bone that is used to stiffen a garment (e.g. a corset)
Stay
Stay the same; remain in a certain state;
The dress remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it
Rest assured
Stay alone
He remained unmoved by her tears
The bad weather continued for another week
Stay
Stay put (in a certain place);
We are staying in Detroit; we are not moving to Cincinnati
Stay put in the corner here!
Stick around and you will learn something!
Stay
Dwell;
You can stay with me while you are in town
Stay a bit longer--the day is still young
Stay
Continue in a place, position, or situation;
After graduation, she stayed on in Cambridge as a student adviser
Stay with me, please
Despite student protests, he remained Dean for another year
She continued as deputy mayor for another year
Stay
Remain behind;
I had to stay at home and watch the children
Stay
Stop or halt;
Please stay the bloodshed!
Stay
Stay behind;
The smell stayed in the room
The hostility remained long after they made up
Stay
A trial of endurance;
Ride out the storm
Stay
Stop a judicial process;
The judge stayed the execution order
Stay
Fasten with stays
Stay
Overcome or allay;
Quell my hunger
Stay
Support or secure something in a specified position.
The ropes stay the mast.
Common Curiosities
Is "Stay" used in commands?
Yes, as in "Stay here!" or "Stay calm."
Can "Remain" be used when referring to feelings?
Yes, like "Doubts remain in my mind."
Can "Remain" and "Stay" be used interchangeably?
Often, but it depends on the context.
Is "Remain" often used in legal or official contexts?
Yes, like "The defendant shall remain in custody."
Is "Stay" more apt for temporary situations?
Yes, it typically suggests a temporary halt or pause.
Would you say "The problem remains unsolved" or "The problem stays unsolved"?
"The problem remains unsolved" is more common.
Is "Remain" used to indicate leftovers?
Yes, like "Only a few cookies remain."
Does "Remain" imply a more passive state than "Stay"?
Yes, "Remain" is more about continuity, while "Stay" implies active halting.
Is "Stay" more about physical presence?
Often, especially when referring to not leaving a place.
Which is more formal, "Remain" or "Stay"?
Both can be formal, but "Remain" often sounds more so.
Can "Stay" indicate a delay?
Yes, as in "The rain stayed our plans."
Does "Remain" emphasize continuity?
Yes, it often indicates a continued state or condition.
Can "Stay" imply a longer duration than "Remain"?
Not necessarily; context determines duration for both.
Can "Stay" suggest an impending change?
Yes, as in "Stay alert" implying a need for alertness soon.
Between "Remain" and "Stay", which one emphasizes resistance to change?
"Stay" often carries that nuance, especially in commands.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
