What is the meaning of running?

noun

  • American football. ( a play in which a player attempts to carry the ball through or past the opposing team)
    • usage: "the defensive line braced to stop the run"; "the coach put great emphasis on running"
  • The act of running; traveling on foot at a fast pace.
    • usage: "he broke into a run"; "his daily run keeps him fit"
  • The state of being in operation.
    • usage: "the engine is running smoothly"
  • The act of administering or being in charge of something.
    • usage: "he has responsibility for the running of two companies at the same time"
  • The act of participating in an athletic competition involving running on a track.

verb

  • Move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time.
    • usage: "Don't run-you'll be out of breath"; "The children ran to the store"
  • Flee; take to one's heels; cut and run.
    • usage: "If you see this man, run"; "The burglars escaped before the police showed up"
  • Stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point.
    • usage: "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"
  • Direct or control; projects, businesses, etc..
    • usage: "She is running a relief operation in the Sudan"
  • Have a particular form.
    • usage: "the story or argument runs as follows"; "as the saying goes..."
  • Move along, of liquids.
    • usage: "Water flowed into the cave"; "the Missouri feeds into the Mississippi"
  • Perform as expected when applied.
    • usage: "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"
  • Change or be different within limits.
    • usage: "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"
  • Run, stand, or compete for an office or a position.
    • usage: "Who's running for treasurer this year"
  • Cause to emit recorded audio or video.
    • usage: "They ran the tapes over and over again"; "I'll play you my favorite record"; "He never tires of playing that video"
  • Move about freely and without restraint, or act as if running around in an uncontrolled way.
    • usage: "who are these people running around in the building"; "She runs around telling everyone of her troubles"; "let the dogs run free"
  • Have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined.
    • usage: "She tends to be nervous before her lectures"; "These dresses run small"; "He inclined to corpulence"
  • Be operating, running or functioning.
    • usage: "The car is still running-turn it off"
  • Change from one state to another.
    • usage: "run amok"; "run rogue"; "run riot"
  • Cause to perform.
    • usage: "run a subject"; "run a process"
  • Be affected by; be subjected to.
    • usage: "run a temperature"; "run a risk"
  • Continue to exist.
    • usage: "These stories die hard"; "The legend of Elvis endures"
  • Occur persistently.
    • usage: "Musical talent runs in the family"
  • Carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine.
    • usage: "Run the dishwasher"; "run a new program on the Mac"; "the computer executed the instruction"
  • Include as the content; broadcast or publicize.
    • usage: "We ran the ad three times"; "This paper carries a restaurant review"; "All major networks carried the press conference"
  • Carry out.
    • usage: "run an errand"
  • Pass over, across, or through.
    • usage: "He ran his eyes over her body"; "She ran her fingers along the carved figurine"; "He drew her hair through his fingers"
  • Cause something to pass or lead somewhere.
    • usage: "Run the wire behind the cabinet"
  • Make without a miss.
  • Deal in illegally, such as arms or liquor.
  • Cause an animal to move fast.
    • usage: "run the dogs"
  • Be diffused.
    • usage: "These dyes and colors are guaranteed not to run"
  • Sail before the wind.
  • Cover by running; run a certain distance.
    • usage: "She ran 10 miles that day"
  • Extend or continue for a certain period of time.
    • usage: "The film runs 5 hours"
  • Set animals loose to graze.
  • Keep company.
    • usage: "the heifers run with the bulls to produce offspring"
  • Run with the ball; in such sports as football.
  • Travel rapidly, by any (unspecified) means.
    • usage: "Run to the store"; "She always runs to Italy, because she has a lover there"
  • Travel a route regularly.
    • usage: "Ships ply the waters near the coast"
  • Pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals. )
    • usage: "Goering often hunted wild boars in Poland"; "The dogs are running deer"; "The Duke hunted in these woods"
  • Compete in a race.
    • usage: "he is running the Marathon this year"; "let's race and see who gets there first"
  • Progress by being changed.
    • usage: "The speech has to go through several more drafts"; "run through your presentation before the meeting"
  • Reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating.
    • usage: "melt butter"; "melt down gold"; "The wax melted in the sun"
  • Come unraveled or undone as if by snagging.
    • usage: "Her nylons were running"
  • Become undone.
    • usage: "the sweater unraveled"

adjective

  • Of fluids. ( moving or issuing in a stream)
    • usage: "as mountain stream with freely running water"; "hovels without running water"
  • Continually repeated over a period of time.
    • usage: "a running joke among us"
  • Of advancing the ball by running.
    • usage: "the team's running plays worked better than its pass plays"
  • Executed or initiated by running.
    • usage: "running plays worked better than pass plays"; "took a running jump"; "a running start"
  • Measured lengthwise.
    • usage: "cost of lumber per running foot"
  • Of e. G. A machine. ( performing or capable of performing)
    • usage: "in running (or working) order"; "a functional set of brakes"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). running. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/running/definitions/1182632
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "running" http://smartdefine.org/running/definitions/1182632 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, running, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/running/definitions/1182632>.
MLAWordNet. "running" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/running/definitions/1182632>
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