English
run down
Verb

run down

  1. (transitive) To hit someone with a car or other vehicle and injure or kill them.
    He was run down while crossing the main road.
  2. (transitive) To criticize someone or an organisation, often unfairly.
    Whatever the company says, the media is going to run them down.
    My sister is always running me down in front of my friends.
    Don't run yourself down so much!
  3. (transitive) To find something or someone after searching for a long time.
    I finally managed to run down that report. I had filed it incorrectly.
  4. (transitive, intransitive) To lose power slowly. Used for a machine, battery, or other powered device.
    You need to wind up the clock every day so that it doesn't run down.
    If you don't switch off the car lights, you will run the battery down.
  5. (transitive) To read quickly a list or other short text.
    Running down the list of suggestions, I can see three we can discard immediately.
  6. (transitive) To describe in the form of a rundown, a rough outline or summary.
    • 2013, Nora Roberts, The Name of the Game
      When the minute was up, John Jay managed to make the woman twice as nervous as he ran down the rules and the possibilities.
  7. (British, transitive) To reduce the size or stock levels of a business, often with a view to closure.
    The board of directors have decided to run down the stocks held in storage prior to offering the company for sale.
  8. To decline in condition.
    to run down in health
  9. (hunting) To chase till the object pursued is captured or exhausted.
    to run down a stag
  10. (nautical) To run against and sink, as a vessel.
  11. (transitive) To crush; to overthrow; to overbear.
    • Religion is run down by the licence of these times.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations
  • Russian: загнать


This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.002
Offline English dictionary