run-down
adjective
fatigued; weary; exhausted.
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run-down
American
[ruhn-doun]
/ ˈrʌnˈdaʊn /
run down
British
verb
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to cause or allow (an engine, battery, etc) to lose power gradually and cease to function or (of an engine, battery, etc) to do this
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to decline or reduce in number or size
the firm ran down its sales force
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(tr, usually passive) to tire, sap the strength of, or exhaust
he was thoroughly run down and needed a holiday
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(tr) to criticize adversely; denigrate; decry
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(tr) to hit and knock to the ground with a moving vehicle
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nautical
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(tr) to collide with and cause to sink
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(intr, preposition) to navigate so as to move parallel to (a coast)
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(tr) to pursue and find or capture
to run down a fugitive
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(tr) to read swiftly or perfunctorily
he ran down their list of complaints
adjective
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tired; exhausted
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worn-out, shabby, or dilapidated
noun
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a brief review, résumé, or summary
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the process of a motor or mechanism coming gradually to a standstill after the source of power is removed
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a reduction in number or size
run down
Idioms
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Stop because of lack of power or force, as in The alarm clock finally ran down . [Mid-1700s]
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Make or be tired, cause to decline or be declined in health or vigor, as in His long illness ran him down, leaving him with no energy , or After that huge assignment his strength ran down . [First half of 1800s]
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Collide with and knock over, as in The speeding motorist ran down a pedestrian . [Second half of 1500s]
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Chase and capture, as in Police detectives ran down the suspects . [Second half of 1600s]
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Trace the source of, as in She ran down all the references at the library .
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Disparage, as in Don't run him down, he's a talented actor . [Second half of 1600s] Also see put down , def. 4.
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Also, run one's eyes over . Look over, review, as in Let's run down the membership list again and see if we can pick a delegate , or She ran her eyes over the crowd, looking for her husband .
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In baseball, tag out a runner between bases, as in We might have won but in the last inning they ran down two of our runners .
Etymology
Origin of run-down
First recorded in 1675–85; adj. use of verb phrase run down
Explanation
Use the adjective run-down to describe something that's so old it's falling apart, like a beat up old car or a worn out mattress with springs sticking out of it. A dingy neighborhood that's seen better days can be called run-down, and so can your decrepit apartment building, with its broken elevator, creaky stairs, and windows that don't close all the way. A person can also be run-down, if he is bent and elderly, or just exhausted from traveling for days or working too many late nights. You can also spell it rundown, although the hyphenated run-down is more common.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Run down the batteries of South Africa's starting pack, force their front-row 'Bomb Squad' replacements off the bench early and negate one of their main strengths.
From BBC • Oct. 20, 2023
Run down the checklist, which will include apps, photos & videos, audio, SMS, call history and other settings.
From The Verge • May 17, 2022
Run down the list of private sectors that spend the most on information technology — health care, banking, retail, insurance — and all of them worry Amazon is coming for them.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2018
Run down mentally the American actors of that generation who might fit the bill.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2017
“Francie, here’s a penny. Run down to the candy store and get a sheet of writing paper and an envelope.”
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
