What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Digress vs Astray - What's the difference?

digress | astray |

As a verb digress

is to step or turn aside; to deviate; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking.

As an adverb astray is

in a wrong or unknown and wrongly-motivated direction.

digress

English

Verb

(es)
  • To step or turn aside; to deviate; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking.
  • * Holland
  • Moreover she beginneth to digress in latitude.
  • * John Locke
  • In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to digress into a particular definition as often as a man varies the signification of any term.
  • * {{quote-song
  • , year = 1959 , title = In Old Mexico , composer = (Tom Lehrer) , passage = For I hadn't had so much fun since the day / my brother's dog Rover / got run over. / (Rover was killed by a Pontiac. And it was done with such grace and artistry that the witnesses awarded the driver both ears and the tail – but I digress .) }}
  • To turn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Thy abundant goodness shall excuse / This deadly blot on thy digressing son.

    Synonyms

    * (turn from the course of argument) sidetrack

    astray

    English

    Adverb

  • In a wrong or unknown and wrongly-motivated direction.
  • Derived terms

    * lead astray

    References