outstay your welcome
verb phrase · Idiom / expression C2
Plain meaning
to stay so long that people no longer want you there
Exam-register meaning
to remain beyond the point of social or institutional acceptance
In context
naturalWe left early because we didn’t want to outstay our welcome.
examThe article suggests that certain emergency policies can outstay their welcome after a crisis ends.
Common collocations
outstay your welcomebegin to outstay its welcomenot want to outstay your welcome
Watch out
The idiom is usually used with possessive forms: my/your/its welcome.