Definition

Verb (intransitive) To become completely empty of water or another liquid; to cease flowing or supplying liquid.

Usage

This verb phrase describes the process by which a source of water or a supply of liquid is exhausted and stops. It is often used for natural water sources like rivers, wells, or springs, but can also apply to man-made containers or supplies.

Examples

• The well ran dry after the long drought, forcing the village to find a new water source.
• During the heatwave, many small streams run dry.
• If you don't fix that leak, the rainwater tank will run dry.
• The charity's funding ran dry, and they had to suspend the program.

Advanced Usage

• Metaphorical Use: The phrase is commonly extended to describe the exhaustion of non-liquid resources, such as money, ideas, luck, or patience.
  • After writing three novels in a year, the author felt his creativity had run dry.
  • Our luck ran dry in the final minutes of the game.

Variants and Related Words

• Dry up (phrasal verb): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "run dry" for both literal and metaphorical meanings.
  • The pond dried up in the summer sun.

Synonyms

• Dry up
• Become depleted
• Go dry
• Be exhausted

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Run out (of something): To use all of a supply so that there is none left. While similar, "run out" is more general (e.g., run out of milk, time, patience), whereas "run dry" specifically evokes the image of an empty container or source.
  • We ran out of water. (The bottles are empty.)
  • The spring ran dry. (The source itself ceased to flow.)

Related Idioms

• The well has run dry: An idiom meaning a source of something (especially ideas, money, or information) is completely exhausted and can no longer be relied upon.
  • I've tried to think of a solution, but the well has run dry.

Verb

1. become empty of water
   • The river runs dry in the summer