withstay means to hold back; oppose; withstand. It carries an Arena rating of 1529, earned across 102 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, withstay ranks #1,416 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #3,548 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #4,453 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #4,929 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words.
Why “withstay” is a great word
WITHSTAY — [Verb] To hold back, oppose, or withstand by standing firm. From the prefix with- (meaning "back, against") + the verb stay (meaning "to stop or delay"). First attested in 1854 by the poet Sydney Dobell. Unlike "withstand" (which implies a sustained, often passive resistance) or "hinder" (which suggests a general cause of delay), to withstay is to interpose one's will as an active, physical brake against a gathering momentum. It is the hand on a child's chest before he darts into the street, the grounded anchor in a tide of enthusiasm, or the quiet refusal that halts a confession at the lips—a minor but essential friction upon which grander motions founder.
Etymology
From with- (“back, against”) + stay.
verb
- To hold back; oppose; withstand.e.g.“Death, careful of my learning, hath withstayed His final presence.” — 1854, S. T. Dobell, Balder iii. 10:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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