English Meaning & Definitions
To continue doing something until it is finished or until a desired result is achieved, especially despite difficulties, opposition, or a desire to quit.
- “The government has vowed to stay the course with its economic reforms despite widespread public criticism.”
- “It was a grueling training program, but those who stayed the course were rewarded with professional certification.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “stay the course”.
The phrase originates from 19th-century nautical terminology. In sailing, 'staying the course' referred to a ship maintaining its intended heading or direction despite adverse weather conditions or rough seas. It later entered political and general parlance to describe the act of persisting with a difficult or unpopular policy until its conclusion.
Imagine a ship captain refusing to turn the wheel during a storm, keeping his eyes fixed on the 'course' ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions About “stay the course”
1. What is the meaning of “stay the course” in English?
In English, stay the course (idiom) is defined as: “To continue doing something until it is finished or until a desired result is achieved, especially despite difficulties, opposition, or a desire to quit.”.
2. How do you use “stay the course” in a sentence?
“The government has vowed to stay the course with its economic reforms despite widespread public criticism.”
3. What are English synonyms of “stay the course”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “stay the course”?
The phrase originates from 19th-century nautical terminology. In sailing, 'staying the course' referred to a ship maintaining its intended heading or direction despite adverse weather conditions or rough seas. It later entered political and general parlance to describe the act of persisting with a difficult or unpopular policy until its conclusion.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.