go astray

English

Verb

go astray (third-person singular simple present goes astray, present participle going astray, simple past went astray, past participle gone astray)

1. (intransitive) To develop bad habits; to behave improperly or illegally.

   Synonyms: break bad, go bad

   If you keep hanging out with that gang you'll go astray.

2. (intransitive) To behave in an adulterous manner.

   The woman thought her husband had gone astray.

   • 1980 August 9, James W. Smith, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 15:

     I am a prisoner and all my so-called friends have gone astray on me. Could you please print this ad for me so I may hopefully reach society: I'm a lonely inmate who wishes to write someone and have a sincere relation.

3. (intransitive) To come to believe an untruth.
4. (intransitive, of an object) To become lost or mislaid.
5. (intransitive, chiefly in the negative) To be undesirable or unhelpful.

   A pinch of salt in this dish wouldn't go astray.

6. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see go,‎ astray.

Derived terms

• the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray

Translations

develop bad habits; behave improperly or illegally

• Arabic: ضَلَّ (ḍalla)
• Azerbaijani: yoldan çıxmaq, düz yoldan çıxmaq, azmaq (az), sapmaq, yolunu azmaq
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 誤入歧途／误入歧途 (zh) (wùrùqítú)

• Danish: komme langt ud, gå ned af bakke
• Finnish: hairahtua (fi), poiketa (fi), eksyä (fi)
• German: auf die schiefe Bahn geraten (de)
• Old Turkic: 𐰀𐰕 (āz-)
• Ottoman Turkish: آزمق (azmaq)
• Russian: сбива́ться с пути́ impf (sbivátʹsja s putí), сби́ться с пути́ (ru) pf (sbítʹsja s putí) (idiomatic)
• Sanskrit: वञ्चति (sa) (vañcati)
• Turkish: azmak (tr)

to behave in an adulterous manner

• German: fremdgehen (de)

come to believe an untruth

• Arabic: ضَلَّ (ḍalla)
• Azerbaijani: yanılmaq (az)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: mennä harhaan
• Russian: заблужда́ться (ru) impf (zabluždátʹsja)

of objects: to become lost or mislaid

• Azerbaijani: itmək
• German: verloren gehen, verlustig gehen
• Russian: потеря́ться (ru) pf (poterjátʹsja), теря́ться (ru) impf (terjátʹsja)
• Swedish: bli borttappat

to be undesirable or unhelpful

• German: fehl am Platze sein, verkehrt sein, schlecht sein

See also

• lead astray