go astray
verb1
To develop bad habits; to behave improperly or illegally.
- If you keep hanging out with that gang you'll go astray.
2
To behave in an adulterous manner.
- The woman thought her husband had gone astray.
- 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.1980 August 9, James W. Smith, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 15:
3
To come to believe an untruth.
4
Of an object To become lost or mislaid.
5
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.
- I went astray and ended up lost.
- Derived terms
- the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray
- Related terms
- lead astray