ran

A boy ran across the grassy park to catch his soccer ball.

Definition

1. Verb (past tense of "run"):
   • To move quickly on foot: The past tense of "run," meaning to have moved at a speed faster than a walk, with both feet off the ground during each stride.
   • To operate or function: To have been in operation or working condition.
   • To flow or extend: To have flowed in a stream or to have extended in a particular direction.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • She ran to catch the bus. (She moved quickly on foot to catch the bus.)
  • The engine ran smoothly all day. (The engine operated or functioned smoothly all day.)
  • A river ran through the valley. (A river flowed or extended through the valley.)

Advanced Usage

• "ran for office": To have been a candidate in an election.

  • He ran for mayor last year. (He was a candidate for mayor last year.)

• "ran into": To have encountered someone by chance.

  • I ran into an old friend at the store. (I met an old friend by chance at the store.)

• "ran out of": To have used up a supply of something.

  • We ran out of milk this morning. (We used up all our milk this morning.)

Variants and Related Words

• Run (v, n): The base form of the verb and its noun form.

  • I run every morning. (I move quickly on foot every morning.)
  • He went for a run. (He went for an act of running.)

• Runner (n): A person or thing that runs.

  • She is a fast runner. (She is a person who runs fast.)

• Running (n, adj): The action or sport of running; operating continuously.

  • Running is good exercise. (The sport of running is good exercise.)
  • We have a running joke. (We have a joke that is continuously active.)

Synonyms

• Sprinted: Ran at top speed for a short distance.
• Operated: Functioned or worked.
• Flowed: Moved in a stream.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Ran across: To have found or encountered something unexpectedly.

  • I ran across this old photo while cleaning. (I found this old photo unexpectedly while cleaning.)

• Ran away: To have left a place quickly or secretly; to have escaped.

  • The child ran away from home. (The child left home secretly.)

• Ran over: To have exceeded a limit; or, to have hit with a vehicle.

  • The meeting ran over by ten minutes. (The meeting exceeded its scheduled time by ten minutes.)
  • The car ran over a toy. (The car hit a toy with its wheels.)

Related Idioms

• Ran the show: To have been in charge or control of an event or situation.

  • She ran the show and everything went perfectly. (She was in control and everything went perfectly.)

• Ran its course: To have developed and finished in the natural or usual way.

  • The illness has run its course. (The illness has finished its natural progression.)