Definition

1. Verb:

   • To move quickly on foot: To move by taking quick steps, with both feet leaving the ground during each stride.
   • To operate or function: To be in working order or to cause a machine or system to function.
   • To flow or spread: For a liquid, color, or substance to move, spread, or dissolve.
   • To extend or continue: To stretch over a distance or to last for a period of time.
   • To manage or control: To be in charge of or operate an organization, business, or process.
   • To compete in a race: To take part in a running competition.
   • To flee: To move quickly away from danger or a threat.

2. Noun:

   • An act or period of running: The action of moving quickly on foot or a session of doing so.
   • A continuous series or sequence: An unbroken succession of events, performances, or instances.
   • A journey or route: A regular trip made by a vehicle or person, or the route taken.
   • A small stream: A small, natural flow of water.
   • Freedom of use: Unrestricted permission to use something.
   • A point scored in baseball: The act of a player safely touching all four bases.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • She likes to run in the park every morning. (She moves quickly on foot for exercise.)
  • Does this old car still run? (Is this old car still functioning?)
  • Be careful, the ink might run if the paper gets wet. (The ink might spread or bleed.)
  • The meeting ran for three hours. (The meeting lasted for three hours.)
  • He runs a successful restaurant. (He manages a successful restaurant.)
  • He will run in the marathon next month. (He will compete in the marathon.)
  • When they saw the police, they had to run. (They had to flee quickly.)

• Noun:

  • He goes for a five-mile run every evening. (He goes for a running session of five miles.)
  • The play had a long run on Broadway. (The play had a long, continuous series of performances.)
  • The bus makes its final run at midnight. (The bus makes its final trip of the day.)
  • The children played by the run in the woods. (The children played by the small stream.)
  • The guests had the run of the house. (The guests had unrestricted access to use the house.)
  • The team scored a run in the first inning. (The team scored a point in baseball.)

Advanced Usage

• "In the long run": Over a long period of time; eventually.
  • Studying hard is difficult, but it pays off in the long run.
• "Run for office": To be a candidate in an election.
  • She decided to run for office in the next election.
• "Run a fever/temperature": To have a body temperature that is higher than normal.
  • The child is running a fever and should stay in bed.

Variants and Related Words

• Runner (n): A person or animal that runs, especially in a race.
• Running (n/adj): The action or sport of running; operating or flowing continuously.
• Runny (adj): More liquid than solid; tending to flow (e.g., a ).
• Outrun (v): To run faster or farther than someone or something.
• Overrun (v): To spread over or occupy a place in great numbers; to exceed a limit.

Synonyms

• Verb: Sprint, dash, operate, function, manage, administer, extend, flow.
• Noun: Dash, sprint, jog, series, sequence, streak, trip, route, creek.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Run into: To meet someone by chance; to collide with.
  • I ran into an old friend at the supermarket.
• Run out of: To use all of something so that there is none left.
  • We ran out of milk, so I need to go to the store.
• Run over: To hit with a vehicle; to review quickly.
  • The driver didn't see the cat and almost ran it over.
  • Let's run over the main points before the presentation.
• Run away: To leave a place secretly or to escape.
  • The child threatened to run away from home.

Related Idioms

• Run of the mill: Ordinary, average, not special.
  • It was just a run of the mill action movie, nothing original.
• Run the gauntlet: To go through a dangerous or difficult experience where you are attacked or criticized from all sides.
  • New employees often have to run the gauntlet of criticism from senior staff.
• Run its course: To develop and finish naturally.
  • There's no cure for this virus; you just have to let it run its course.

Verb

1. become undone
   • the sweater unraveled
2. come unraveled or undone as if by snagging
   • Her nylons were running
3. reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating
   • melt butter
   • melt down gold
   • The wax melted in the sun
4. progress by being changed
   • The speech has to go through several more drafts
   • run through your presentation before the meeting
5. compete in a race
   • he is running the Marathon this year
   • let's race and see who gets there first
6. pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)
   • Goering often hunted wild boars in Poland
   • The dogs are running deer
   • The Duke hunted in these woods
7. travel a route regularly
   • Ships ply the waters near the coast
8. travel rapidly, by any (unspecified) means
   • Run to the store!
   • She always runs to Italy, because she has a lover there
9. run with the ball; in such sports as football
10. keep company
    • the heifers run with the bulls to produce offspring
11. set animals loose to graze
12. extend or continue for a certain period of time
    • The film runs 5 hours
13. cover by running; run a certain distance
    • She ran 10 miles that day
14. sail before the wind
15. be diffused
    • These dyes and colors are guaranteed not to run
16. cause an animal to move fast
    • run the dogs
17. deal in illegally, such as arms or liquor
18. make without a miss
19. cause something to pass or lead somewhere
    • Run the wire behind the cabinet
20. pass over, across, or through
    • He ran his eyes over her body
    • She ran her fingers along the carved figurine
    • He drew her hair through his fingers
21. carry out
    • run an errand
22. include as the content; broadcast or publicize
    • We ran the ad three times
    • This paper carries a restaurant review
    • All major networks carried the press conference
23. carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine
    • Run the dishwasher
    • run a new program on the Mac
    • the computer executed the instruction
24. occur persistently
    • Musical talent runs in the family
25. continue to exist
    • These stories die hard
    • The legend of Elvis endures
26. be affected by; be subjected to
    • run a temperature
    • run a risk
27. cause to perform
    • run a subject
    • run a process
28. change from one state to another
    • run amok
    • run rogue
    • run riot
29. be operating, running or functioning
    • The car is still running--turn it off!
30. have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined
    • She tends to be nervous before her lectures
    • These dresses run small
    • He inclined to corpulence
31. move about freely and without restraint, or act as if running around in an uncontrolled way
    • who are these people running around in the building?
    • She runs around telling everyone of her troubles
    • let the dogs run free
32. cause to emit recorded audio or video
    • They ran the tapes over and over again
    • I'll play you my favorite record
    • He never tires of playing that video
33. run, stand, or compete for an office or a position
    • Who's running for treasurer this year?
34. change or be different within limits
    • Estimates for the losses in the earthquake range as high as $2 billion
    • Interest rates run from 5 to 10 percent
    • The instruments ranged from tuba to cymbals
    • My students range from very bright to dull
35. perform as expected when applied
    • The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in
    • Does this old car still run well?
    • This old radio doesn't work anymore
36. move along, of liquids
    • Water flowed into the cave
    • the Missouri feeds into the Mississippi
37. have a particular form
    • the story or argument runs as follows
    • as the saying goes...
38. direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.
    • She is running a relief operation in the Sudan
39. stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
    • Service runs all the way to Cranbury
    • His knowledge doesn't go very far
    • My memory extends back to my fourth year of life
    • The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets
40. flee; take to one's heels; cut and run
    • If you see this man, run!
    • The burglars escaped before the police showed up
41. move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
    • Don't run--you'll be out of breath
    • The children ran to the store

Noun

1. a short trip
   • take a run into town
2. an unbroken chronological sequence
   • the play had a long run on Broadway
   • the team enjoyed a brief run of victories
3. the pouring forth of a fluid
4. a row of unravelled stitches
   • she got a run in her stocking
5. a race between candidates for elective office
   • I managed his campaign for governor
   • he is raising money for a Senate run
6. a small stream
7. the production achieved during a continuous period of operation (of a machine or factory etc.)
   • a daily run of 100,000 gallons of paint
8. unrestricted freedom to use
   • he has the run of the house
9. the continuous period of time during which something (a machine or a factory) operates or continues in operation
   • the assembly line was on a 12-hour run
10. the act of running; traveling on foot at a fast pace
    • he broke into a run
    • his daily run keeps him fit
11. a regular trip
    • the ship made its run in record time
12. (American football) a play in which a player attempts to carry the ball through or past the opposing team
    • the defensive line braced to stop the run
    • the coach put great emphasis on running
13. an unbroken series of events
    • had a streak of bad luck
    • Nicklaus had a run of birdies
14. a race run on foot
    • she broke the record for the half-mile run
15. the act of testing something
    • in the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately
    • he called each flip of the coin a new trial
16. a score in baseball made by a runner touching all four bases safely
    • the Yankees scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th
    • their first tally came in the 3rd inning