astray

Astray is an adverb that denotes being away from the correct path or direction, or off course. It can describe physical wandering, as in moving away from a planned route, and also figurative deviation, such as being misled or making an error in judgment. The phrase go astray is common, meaning to wander off course or to fail to remain on a correct course. Related expressions include lead astray, meaning to cause someone to become misled, and go astray in the details, which describes failing to keep to the intended specifics or plan.

Etymology typically traces astray to Middle English, formed with the prefix a- attached to stray, the root relating to wandering or deviating. The core sense remains consistent: deviation from a desired, correct, or expected path, whether physical, intellectual, moral, or practical.

In usage, astray often appears in literature, religious or moral exhortations, and everyday speech to indicate error or misdirection. Examples include a traveler going astray in fog, a policy going astray due to misinterpretation, or rumors leading someone astray. The term is used primarily as an adverb, with its participial form gone astray capturing the sense of having already deviated.

See also: go astray; lead astray; gone astray.