errand
Americannoun
-
errands
plural
-
a short and quick trip to accomplish a specific purpose, as to buy something, deliver a package, or convey a message, often for someone else.
- Synonyms:
- chore, assignment, task, mission
-
the purpose of such a trip.
He finished his errands.
- Synonyms:
- chore, assignment, task, mission
-
a special mission or function entrusted to a messenger; commission.
noun
-
a short trip undertaken to perform a necessary task or commission (esp in the phrase run errands )
-
the purpose or object of such a trip
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of errand
First recorded before 900; Middle English erande, Old English ærende; cognate with Old High German āruntī; compare Old English ār “messenger,” Gothic airus; not related to err ( def. ), errant ( def. )
Explanation
An errand is a short trip to fulfill some small business. When you’re running errands, you’re making a bunch of these all at once. The noun errand can refer to the mission of the trip itself. If the lines are always long at the bank, then banking may be your least favorite errand. If you are off on a wild goose chase, you may be out on a fool's errand. If you are taking food or clothing to someone in need, then you are on an errand of mercy.
Vocabulary lists containing errand
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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.
See Examples For:
It’s a fool’s errand at this moment to guess where any of this turns out or which party ends up ahead in the remapping effort.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
My husband and I burst out laughing – not at that scene, or the clerk’s impromptu theatrics, but at this injection of delight into an otherwise mundane errand.
From Salon ● May 2, 2026
Betting against Nvidia has also been a fool’s errand in the past three years.
From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026
According to history, betting against Microsoft’s stock over the longer term has been a fool’s errand.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 24, 2026
Salvador went off on her errand frowning, and he returned still frowning though he had good news.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
Americans were living busier lives, with longer commutes, and as more women entered the workforce, getting domestic errands done efficiently became key.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Many of you are doing it responsibly, too: The overwhelming majority are taking care of housework or laundry, while running errands was the second-most common piece of personal business being done during professional time.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
They often show him doing everyday activities such as "munchie runs" to supermarkets or shopping malls, visiting restaurants or running other errands.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
They said the couple were running errands for their wedding, which was weeks away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
“Let me give you a lift. I’ve got a few errands to run there.”
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
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.
