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- Dictionarywaylay/ˌweɪˈleɪ/
verb
- 1. stop or interrupt (someone) and detain them in conversation or trouble them in some other way: "he waylaid me on the stairs" Similar
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WAYLAY definition: 1. to wait for and then stop someone, especially either to attack or talk to that person: 2. to…. Learn more.
1. : to lie in wait for or attack (someone) from ambush. … he had been waylaid, bound hand and foot, and thrown into a marsh. But he got out again, somehow, to cause a great deal of trouble yet. Charles Dickens. 2. : to temporarily stop the movement or progress of (someone or something)
When you waylay someone, you stop them from doing what they were going to do, either by using violence or some other tactic. To waylay, or to be waylaid, is usually not a good thing: Mom would not be proud.
verb. If someone waylays you, they stop you when you are going somewhere, for example in order to talk to you, to steal something from you, or to attack you. She was forever waylaying him in odd holes and corners of the hotel. [VERB noun] The trucks are being waylaid by bandits. [VERB noun] I'm sorry, Nick, I got waylaid.
1. To lie in wait for and attack from ambush. See Synonyms at ambush. 2. To approach and speak to (a person on the way to a destination or in the middle of an activity): "After the meal he followed me into the living room and waylaid me before I could reassemble my guests" (Louis Auchincloss). 3.
Waylay definition: to intercept or attack from ambush, as in order to rob, seize, or slay.. See examples of WAYLAY used in a sentence.
Definition of waylay verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
WAYLAY meaning: 1. to wait for and then stop someone, especially either to attack or talk to that person: 2. to…. Learn more.
Jun 17, 2024 · waylay (third-person singular simple present waylays, present participle waylaying, simple past and past participle waylaid or (nonstandard) waylayed) To lie in wait for and attack from ambush. Synonyms: ambush, lurk To accost or intercept unexpectedly. Synonym: buttonhole
to intercept or attack from a position of hiding or ambush: to waylay him while he was crossing the alley. to await and then rush up to greet, confront, solicit, etc., unexpectedly: to waylay the boss in the hallway. way•lay•er, n. [ countable] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024.
