"run around" meaning in English

See run around in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-run around.ogg [Australia] Forms: run arounds [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} run around (plural run arounds)
  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see run, around.
    Sense id: en-run_around-en-noun-pPiyRJmr
  2. Alternative form of runaround. Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: runaround
    Sense id: en-run_around-en-noun-Abb8yV-T

Verb

Audio: En-au-run around.ogg [Australia] Forms: runs around [present, singular, third-person], running around [participle, present], ran around [past], run around [participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|run<,,ran,run> around}} run around (third-person singular simple present runs around, present participle running around, simple past ran around, past participle run around)
  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see run, around. Synonyms: run about Derived forms: run-around, runaround, run around after, run around in circles, run around like a chicken with its head cut off, run around with, run around with one's hair on fire
    Sense id: en-run_around-en-verb-pPiyRJmr Categories (other): English phrasal verbs with particle (around) Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (around): 8 9 11 6 7 26 10 24
  2. (idiomatic, intransitive) To be very busy doing many different things. Tags: idiomatic, intransitive Translations (to be very busy): 忙碌 (mánglù) (Chinese Mandarin), 奔忙 (bēnmáng) (Chinese Mandarin), touhuta (Finnish), courir partout (French), biegać [imperfective] (Polish)
    Sense id: en-run_around-en-verb-UDOFhx~X Disambiguation of 'to be very busy': 2 90 1 1 2 3
  3. (idiomatic, intransitive) To go from place to place. Tags: idiomatic, intransitive
    Sense id: en-run_around-en-verb-ypW5fhM5
  4. (rail transport, of a locomotive) To move from one end of the consist to the other, so as to pull the train in the opposite direction. Categories (topical): Rail transportation
    Sense id: en-run_around-en-verb-EeUHgbQm Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (around) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 4 6 3 4 38 7 36 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (around): 8 9 11 6 7 26 10 24 Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport
  5. (slang) To cheat; to be unfaithful to a romantic partner. Tags: slang
    Sense id: en-run_around-en-verb-WA~7f8MX
  6. (tennis, of a forehand or a backhand) To change one's position on the court to hit a forehand rather than a backhand, or vice versa. Categories (topical): Tennis
    Sense id: en-run_around-en-verb-N7MH3zOt Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (around) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 4 6 3 4 38 7 36 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (around): 8 9 11 6 7 26 10 24 Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports, tennis

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for run around meaning in English (7.4kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "runs around",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "running around",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ran around",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "run around",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "run<,,ran,run> around"
      },
      "expansion": "run around (third-person singular simple present runs around, present participle running around, simple past ran around, past participle run around)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "8 9 11 6 7 26 10 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (around)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "run-around"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "runaround"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "run around after"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "run around in circles"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "run around like a chicken with its head cut off"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "run around with"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "run around with one's hair on fire"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The children ran around in the playground."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see run, around."
      ],
      "id": "en-run_around-en-verb-pPiyRJmr",
      "links": [
        [
          "run",
          "run#English"
        ],
        [
          "around",
          "around#English"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "run about"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I don't want to run around all week getting everything ready for the holidays.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be very busy doing many different things."
      ],
      "id": "en-run_around-en-verb-UDOFhx~X",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, intransitive) To be very busy doing many different things."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 90 1 1 2 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "mánglù",
          "sense": "to be very busy",
          "word": "忙碌"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 90 1 1 2 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "bēnmáng",
          "sense": "to be very busy",
          "word": "奔忙"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 90 1 1 2 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be very busy",
          "word": "touhuta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 90 1 1 2 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to be very busy",
          "word": "courir partout"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 90 1 1 2 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to be very busy",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "biegać"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To go from place to place."
      ],
      "id": "en-run_around-en-verb-ypW5fhM5",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, intransitive) To go from place to place."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Rail transportation",
          "orig": "en:Rail transportation",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 4 6 3 4 38 7 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 9 11 6 7 26 10 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (around)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To move from one end of the consist to the other, so as to pull the train in the opposite direction."
      ],
      "id": "en-run_around-en-verb-EeUHgbQm",
      "links": [
        [
          "rail transport",
          "rail transport"
        ],
        [
          "consist",
          "consist"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rail transport, of a locomotive) To move from one end of the consist to the other, so as to pull the train in the opposite direction."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a locomotive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "rail-transport",
        "railways",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To cheat; to be unfaithful to a romantic partner."
      ],
      "id": "en-run_around-en-verb-WA~7f8MX",
      "links": [
        [
          "cheat",
          "cheat"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) To cheat; to be unfaithful to a romantic partner."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Tennis",
          "orig": "en:Tennis",
          "parents": [
            "Ball games",
            "Racquet sports",
            "Sports",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 4 6 3 4 38 7 36",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 9 11 6 7 26 10 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (around)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2006, Greg Moran, Tennis Beyond Big Shots, page 71",
          "text": "He'd gotten into tremendous shape so that he could run around his backhand and avoid hitting it altogether. He even tried a left-handed forehand. That was how desperate he was.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To change one's position on the court to hit a forehand rather than a backhand, or vice versa."
      ],
      "id": "en-run_around-en-verb-N7MH3zOt",
      "links": [
        [
          "tennis",
          "tennis"
        ],
        [
          "forehand",
          "forehand"
        ],
        [
          "backhand",
          "backhand"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(tennis, of a forehand or a backhand) To change one's position on the court to hit a forehand rather than a backhand, or vice versa."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a forehand or a backhand"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports",
        "tennis"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-run around.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d8/En-au-run_around.ogg/En-au-run_around.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/En-au-run_around.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "run around"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "run arounds",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "run around (plural run arounds)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We let the dog off the lead so it could have a run around."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see run, around."
      ],
      "id": "en-run_around-en-noun-pPiyRJmr",
      "links": [
        [
          "run",
          "run#English"
        ],
        [
          "around",
          "around#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "runaround"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1893, The New England Medical Gazette - Volume 28, page 183",
          "text": "Natrum sulp. is my specific for inflammations of the matrix of the nails or \" run arounds.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1914, Mine and Quarry - Volumes 8-11, page 1176",
          "text": "The sketch shows the arrangement of run arounds for bringing the loaded trips into the bottom and for returning the empties to the proper quarter of the mine.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1937, United States. National Railroad Adjustment Board, Awards: first division. 1- - Volume 7, page 504",
          "text": "The Committee contends : First, that the turn of Brakeuien W. R. Tighe and W. F. Haworth was run around at Baird by the crews of Conductors Schwartz, Russell, Hubbard, and Whaley and thereby lost 200 miles, or four 50-mile run arounds.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of runaround."
      ],
      "id": "en-run_around-en-noun-Abb8yV-T",
      "links": [
        [
          "runaround",
          "runaround#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-run around.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d8/En-au-run_around.ogg/En-au-run_around.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/En-au-run_around.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "run around"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs with particle (around)",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "run-around"
    },
    {
      "word": "runaround"
    },
    {
      "word": "run around after"
    },
    {
      "word": "run around in circles"
    },
    {
      "word": "run around like a chicken with its head cut off"
    },
    {
      "word": "run around with"
    },
    {
      "word": "run around with one's hair on fire"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "runs around",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "running around",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ran around",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "run around",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "run<,,ran,run> around"
      },
      "expansion": "run around (third-person singular simple present runs around, present participle running around, simple past ran around, past participle run around)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The children ran around in the playground."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see run, around."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "run",
          "run#English"
        ],
        [
          "around",
          "around#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I don't want to run around all week getting everything ready for the holidays.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be very busy doing many different things."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, intransitive) To be very busy doing many different things."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To go from place to place."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, intransitive) To go from place to place."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Rail transportation"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To move from one end of the consist to the other, so as to pull the train in the opposite direction."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "rail transport",
          "rail transport"
        ],
        [
          "consist",
          "consist"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rail transport, of a locomotive) To move from one end of the consist to the other, so as to pull the train in the opposite direction."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a locomotive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "rail-transport",
        "railways",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cheat; to be unfaithful to a romantic partner."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cheat",
          "cheat"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) To cheat; to be unfaithful to a romantic partner."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Tennis"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2006, Greg Moran, Tennis Beyond Big Shots, page 71",
          "text": "He'd gotten into tremendous shape so that he could run around his backhand and avoid hitting it altogether. He even tried a left-handed forehand. That was how desperate he was.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To change one's position on the court to hit a forehand rather than a backhand, or vice versa."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tennis",
          "tennis"
        ],
        [
          "forehand",
          "forehand"
        ],
        [
          "backhand",
          "backhand"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(tennis, of a forehand or a backhand) To change one's position on the court to hit a forehand rather than a backhand, or vice versa."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a forehand or a backhand"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports",
        "tennis"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-run around.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d8/En-au-run_around.ogg/En-au-run_around.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/En-au-run_around.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "run about"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "mánglù",
      "sense": "to be very busy",
      "word": "忙碌"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "bēnmáng",
      "sense": "to be very busy",
      "word": "奔忙"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to be very busy",
      "word": "touhuta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to be very busy",
      "word": "courir partout"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to be very busy",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "biegać"
    }
  ],
  "word": "run around"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs with particle (around)",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "run arounds",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "run around (plural run arounds)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We let the dog off the lead so it could have a run around."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see run, around."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "run",
          "run#English"
        ],
        [
          "around",
          "around#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "runaround"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1893, The New England Medical Gazette - Volume 28, page 183",
          "text": "Natrum sulp. is my specific for inflammations of the matrix of the nails or \" run arounds.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1914, Mine and Quarry - Volumes 8-11, page 1176",
          "text": "The sketch shows the arrangement of run arounds for bringing the loaded trips into the bottom and for returning the empties to the proper quarter of the mine.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1937, United States. National Railroad Adjustment Board, Awards: first division. 1- - Volume 7, page 504",
          "text": "The Committee contends : First, that the turn of Brakeuien W. R. Tighe and W. F. Haworth was run around at Baird by the crews of Conductors Schwartz, Russell, Hubbard, and Whaley and thereby lost 200 miles, or four 50-mile run arounds.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of runaround."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "runaround",
          "runaround#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-run around.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d8/En-au-run_around.ogg/En-au-run_around.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/En-au-run_around.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "run around"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.