Jump To:

• run-down
  run-down

  adjective

  fatigued; weary; exhausted.
• run down
  run down

  verb

  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

run-down

American  

[ruhn-doun] / ˈrʌnˈdaʊn /

adjective

1. fatigued; weary; exhausted.

2. in a state of poor health.

   He was in a run-down condition from months of overwork.

3. in neglected condition; fallen into disrepair.

   a run-down house.

   Synonyms:

   shabby, tacky, seedy

4. (of a spring-operated device) not running because it is unwound.

---

run down British  

verb

1. 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

2. to decline or reduce in number or size

   the firm ran down its sales force

3. (tr, usually passive) to tire, sap the strength of, or exhaust

   he was thoroughly run down and needed a holiday

4. (tr) to criticize adversely; denigrate; decry

5. (tr) to hit and knock to the ground with a moving vehicle

6. nautical

   1. (tr) to collide with and cause to sink

   2. (intr, preposition) to navigate so as to move parallel to (a coast)

7. (tr) to pursue and find or capture

   to run down a fugitive

8. (tr) to read swiftly or perfunctorily

   he ran down their list of complaints

---

adjective

1. tired; exhausted

2. worn-out, shabby, or dilapidated

noun

1. a brief review, résumé, or summary

2. the process of a motor or mechanism coming gradually to a standstill after the source of power is removed

3. a reduction in number or size

run down Idioms  

1. Stop because of lack of power or force, as in The alarm clock finally ran down . [Mid-1700s]

2. 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]

3. Collide with and knock over, as in The speeding motorist ran down a pedestrian . [Second half of 1500s]

4. Chase and capture, as in Police detectives ran down the suspects . [Second half of 1600s]

5. Trace the source of, as in She ran down all the references at the library .

6. Disparage, as in Don't run him down, he's a talented actor . [Second half of 1600s] Also see put down , def. 4.

7. 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 .

8. 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

See Examples For:

run-down run down

Snell gave up one hit, a single to Sal Stewart, which he quickly erased with a successful pick-off that caught Stewart in an inning-ending run-down.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

The sidewalks were cracked, the buildings were run-down and the population of Miami Beach’s South Beach neighborhood in the early 1980s was dominated by older retirees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

The family moved north, found a run-down marina on the Connecticut–Rhode Island border, and bought it.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

It's no easy task in the run-down former mining town, with those interested in fashion careers looking to places such as Glasgow, around an hour's drive away, or even further afield.

From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026

He deserved more than quick prayers in a run-down hut; he deserved a proper burial with token coins placed in his palms to ensure he made it to the godlands.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

The toddler, who is partially deaf, autistic and non-verbal, was reported to have run down a nearby alleyway towards a newbuild housing estate.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

He hits a game-winning home run down the left-field line.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

However, they could be seen as a negative for teams who were used to using the dark arts to run down the clock and hold on to a result.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

But the Strait of Hormuz closure means those stockpiles have likely been run down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

If the mango was ripe, its yellow juice would run down my wrists and make my hands sticky.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

• broken-down
• crumbling
• decrepit
• derelict
• deserted
• desolate
• dilapidated
• dingy
• neglected
• ramshackle
• rickety
• seedy
• tacky