waylay
Definitions
To ambush or lie in wait for someone in order to attack or rob them.
（在路上）埋伏袭击，拦路抢劫。
To stop or intercept someone unexpectedly, often just to talk to them.
（出其不意地）截住，半路拦住（某人，常为了搭话）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedway (path) + lay (to place oneself, to lie). To waylay is literally 'to lay yourself along someone's way' — to position yourself on the road and wait. Picture a highwayman crouched behind a bush as a traveler approaches. The violent old sense (ambush, rob) softened over time into the modern everyday one: to catch someone as they pass, usually just to talk.
Root way still carries 9 more wordsWhy It Means This
Waylay freezes a medieval scene: roads between towns were dangerous, and to waylay was what bandits did — lie in wait and pounce. Note the second element is lay, so the verb conjugates irregularly like lay: waylaid, waylaid. Today it's usually mild and even humorous: 'I got waylaid by a colleague in the hallway' means someone caught you to chat, not robbed you.
Common Collocations
- 1.waylay travelers拦截旅人
- 2.be waylaid by被……截住
- 3.waylay someone on the way半路截住某人
Example Sentences
- 1.
Robbers used to waylay travelers on this mountain road.
- 2.
I was waylaid by a reporter on my way out of the building.
- 3.
She waylaid me in the corridor to ask about the report.
Synonym Comparison
- waylay — intercept someone in transit, often abruptly
- ambush — attack from a hidden position (more military/violent)
- intercept — stop something or someone before they reach a destination (neutral, technical)
- accost — approach and speak to someone boldly or aggressively