ˌlong-ˈstay adjective [only before noun] British English

1. relating to care or treatment over a long period of time
long-stay hospital/ward/bed etc
long-stay patient/resident

2. a long-stay car park is a place where people can leave their cars for a long period of time Antonym : short-stay

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

stay to not leave a place, or to be in a place for a particular period of time:
Stay where you are and don’t move.
John only stayed at the party for a couple of hours.
remain formal to stay somewhere. In written English, people often prefer to use remain rather than stay, because it sounds more formal:
Some 2,000 protesters remained outside the building and refused to leave.
The judge recommended that he remain in jail for the rest of his life.
linger to stay in a place a little longer than you need to, because you are enjoying yourself, or because you hope to see someone or something:
He lingered outside the lecture hall, hoping for a chance to talk to her.
There are plenty of small cafés where you can linger over a cappuccino.
loiter to stay in a place not doing anything – used when you think someone is waiting for the chance to do something bad or illegal:
The two men had been seen loitering in the area on the day that the car was stolen.
hang around informal to stay somewhere not doing anything:
There are gangs of boys hanging around on street corners.
I don’t mind hanging around for a few minutes.
The boss doesn’t like being kept hanging around.
stick around informal to stay in the same place or situation for a period of time, especially while you are waiting for something to happen or someone to arrive:
I decided to stick around and see how it all turned out.
Make up your mind. I’m not going to stick around forever.
a long stay
During his long stay in the south, he painted only one portrait.
a short/brief stay
No visa is required for short stays.
an overnight stay
Business trips may involve an overnight stay.
a pleasant/enjoyable stay
Our driver said goodbye and wished us a pleasant stay.
a hospital stay (also a stay in hospital British English, a stay in the hospital American English)
Sally is back at work after a short stay in hospital.
have a nice/pleasant etc stay
We hope you have a pleasant stay.
extend/prolong your stay (=stay longer)
He could not be persuaded to extend his stay.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲