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run down
run down
1. to come down, running or very quickly; to go down, running or very quickly. I need to talk to you down here. Can you run down? I will run down and talk to you.
2. [for something] to lose power and stop working. The clock ran down because no one was there to wind it. The toy ran down and wouldn't go again until it had been wound.
3. to become worn or dilapidated. The property was allowed to run down, and it took a lot of money to fix it up. The old neighborhood has certainly run down since we moved away.
run someone or something down
1. to collide with and knock down someone or something. The drunken driver ran three pedestrians down. Mary ran down a stop sign.
2. to criticize or deride someone or something. Please stop running me down all the time. I can't be that bad! You run down everybody who takes your old job!
3. to hunt for and locate someone or something. Could you run some information down for me? I was finally able to run down my old friend.
run something down
to use something having batteries, a motor, or an engine until it has no more power and it stops. Who ran my electric toothbrush down? Someone ran down my batteries.
run you down
to make you very tired All of these crises in the family have really run her down.
run down somebody
also run somebody down to injure or kill someone with a vehicle He's accused of running down two pedestrians while driving drunk. She tried to run us down!
run down somebody/something
also run somebody/something down1. to unfairly criticize someone or something People run down the justice system all the time, but it works relatively fairly. Some people can only feel better about themselves if they're running you down.
2. to search for and find someone or something We spend a lot of money each year running down students who are out of school illegally. The software giant spent months running down bugs in the program and fixing them. The cops tried to run these guys down, but they had no luck.
3.
run down (something)
to use the power that makes something work We left the car lights on and ran down the battery. I wound up the toy dog and watched it jump until it ran down.
run down something
also run something down1. to explain something I'll run down my research quickly. T. J. ran it all down for him, explaining the different costs of each option.
2. to reduce something We are going to start running down our savings if prices don't stop rising. I want to run our supplies down some more before we reorder.
run down
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.
run down
v.1. To stop because of lack of force or power: The battery ran down, causing the clock to stop.
2. To make someone or something tired or worn; cause someone or something to lose vigor: All of that work ran me down. The headlights ran down the battery.
3. To collide with and knock down or damage someone or something: That speeding car almost ran me down. The bus ran down a pedestrian.
4. To chase and capture someone or something: The detectives ran down the suspects and had them arrested. The wolves separated one of the elk from the herd and ran it down.
5. To trace the source of something: The police ran down all possible leads in the case. We had the license plate number, so we ran it down and got the name of the driver.
6. To disparage someone or something: Don't run her down—she is very talented.
7. To review something from top to bottom, such as a list; go over something: Let's run down the list of new members and see who has paid the membership fee.
8. Baseball To put a runner out after trapping him or her between two bases: The visiting team managed to run down three players in one inning. The runner tried to get to third base, but the shortstop caught the ball and ran him down.