waylay
waylays
waylaying
waylaid
Waylay means to stop someone unexpectedly, often to attack or delay. Irregular: waylay-waylaid-waylaid.
Meanings
- To stop and attack
- To intercept unexpectedly
- To delay by stopping
Common Collocations
waylaid by
waylay travelers
waylaid on the way
get waylaid
waylay with questions
Tip for Learners
Original: "robbers waylaid travelers" = ambushed. Modern: "I got waylaid by my boss" = unexpectedly stopped. From "way" + "lay" (lie in wait). Follows pattern of "lay".
Present Simple
| I | waylay |
| you | waylay |
| he/she/it | waylays |
| we | waylay |
| they | waylay |
Examples - Present Simple
- Bandits waylay travelers.
- You waylay me at the door.
- She waylays her boss.
- We waylay the messenger.
- They waylay the carriage.
Present Continuous
| I | am waylaying |
| you | are waylaying |
| he/she/it | is waylaying |
| we | are waylaying |
| they | are waylaying |
Examples - Present Continuous
- Bandits are waylaying travelers.
- You are waylaying me at the door.
- She is waylaying her boss.
- We are waylaying the messenger.
- They are waylaying the carriage.
Present Perfect
| I | have waylaid |
| you | have waylaid |
| he/she/it | has waylaid |
| we | have waylaid |
| they | have waylaid |
Examples - Present Perfect
- Bandits have waylaid travelers.
- You have waylaid me at the door.
- She has waylaid her boss.
- We have waylaid the messenger.
- They have waylaid the carriage.
Present Perfect Continuous
| I | have been waylaying |
| you | have been waylaying |
| he/she/it | has been waylaying |
| we | have been waylaying |
| they | have been waylaying |
Examples - Present Perfect Continuous
- Bandits have been waylaying travelers.
- You have been waylaying me.
- She has been waylaying her boss.
- We have been waylaying messengers.
- They have been waylaying carriages.
Past Simple
| I | waylaid |
| you | waylaid |
| he/she/it | waylaid |
| we | waylaid |
| they | waylaid |
Examples - Past Simple
- Bandits waylaid travelers.
- You waylaid me at the door.
- She waylaid her boss.
- We waylaid the messenger.
- They waylaid the carriage.
Past Continuous
| I | was waylaying |
| you | were waylaying |
| he/she/it | was waylaying |
| we | were waylaying |
| they | were waylaying |
Examples - Past Continuous
- Bandits were waylaying travelers.
- You were waylaying me.
- She was waylaying her boss.
- We were waylaying the messenger.
- They were waylaying the carriage.
Past Perfect
| I | had waylaid |
| you | had waylaid |
| he/she/it | had waylaid |
| we | had waylaid |
| they | had waylaid |
Examples - Past Perfect
- Bandits had waylaid travelers.
- You had waylaid me at the door.
- She had waylaid her boss.
- We had waylaid the messenger.
- They had waylaid the carriage.
Past Perfect Continuous
| I | had been waylaying |
| you | had been waylaying |
| he/she/it | had been waylaying |
| we | had been waylaying |
| they | had been waylaying |
Examples - Past Perfect Continuous
- Bandits had been waylaying travelers.
- You had been waylaying me.
- He had been waylaying his boss.
- We had been waylaying messengers.
- They had been waylaying carriages.
Future Simple
| I | will waylay |
| you | will waylay |
| he/she/it | will waylay |
| we | will waylay |
| they | will waylay |
Examples - Future Simple
- Bandits will waylay travelers.
- You will waylay me at the door.
- She will waylay her boss.
- We will waylay the messenger.
- They will waylay the carriage.
Future Continuous
| I | will be waylaying |
| you | will be waylaying |
| he/she/it | will be waylaying |
| we | will be waylaying |
| they | will be waylaying |
Examples - Future Continuous
- Bandits will be waylaying travelers.
- You will be waylaying me.
- He will be waylaying his boss.
- We will be waylaying messengers.
- They will be waylaying carriages.
Future Perfect
| I | will have waylaid |
| you | will have waylaid |
| he/she/it | will have waylaid |
| we | will have waylaid |
| they | will have waylaid |
Examples - Future Perfect
- Bandits will have waylaid travelers.
- You will have waylaid me at the door.
- She will have waylaid her boss.
- We will have waylaid the messenger.
- They will have waylaid the carriage.
Future Perfect Continuous
| I | will have been waylaying |
| you | will have been waylaying |
| he/she/it | will have been waylaying |
| we | will have been waylaying |
| they | will have been waylaying |
Examples - Future Perfect Continuous
- Bandits will have been waylaying travelers.
- You will have been waylaying me.
- He will have been waylaying his boss.
- We will have been waylaying messengers.
- They will have been waylaying carriages.