WordGarden.iooutrun
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /aʊtrˈʌn/
US
- /aʊˈtrən/
Meanings
Verb
to run or move faster than someone or something and get ahead of it
to outstrip, exceed, or escape the effects of something by going faster than it can keep up
Beyond the definition
Imagine a cheetah chasing a gazelle: the gazelle has to outrun the cheetah to survive. The idea is simple: you move faster than what is chasing you, or you get ahead of something that is catching up. Sometimes it is literal, like escaping a person, an animal, or a storm. Sometimes it is more about life: people try to outrun trouble, fear, or the past, even if those things are harder to leave behind. The word usually gives a feeling of pressure, movement, and a strong push to stay ahead.
To outrun means to run faster than someone or something else, typically to escape from them. This is most literally used when describing physical pursuit: "The thief tried to outrun the police," meaning he attempted to escape by running more quickly.
However, outrun is not limited to literal chases. It can also be used more broadly to mean getting ahead of something that threatens, follows, or limits you. For example, someone might try to outrun a storm by driving away from it, or hope to outrun a troubled past by starting over in a new city. It can also describe one thing developing faster than another, as in "Her creativity seemed to outrun her technical skills," where her ideas were growing faster than her ability to carry them out.
The nuance of outrun is that there's an element of effort and struggle involved. It's not simply being ahead; it's actively working to stay ahead or move beyond something challenging. It suggests a race against time, fate, or circumstance. You might outrun a storm by driving faster, but you can't outrun aging—that's just part of life!
So, whether it's a sprint for survival or a determined effort to move forward, to outrun is to exceed, escape, and leave something behind in the dust.
Examples
- 1
Physical chase
The dog chased Mia across the park, but she outran it.
- 2
Vehicle speed
A motorcycle can easily outrun a bicycle on a flat road.
- 3
Weather escape
We left early, hoping to outrun the storm.
- 4
Supply and demand
Demand for the new phone quickly outran supply.
- Patterndemand outruns supply
more people want something than is available
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Personal finances
His spending began to outrun his income.
- 6
Management capacity
The company grew so fast that its problems outran its managers' ability to fix them.
- 7
Past problems
She moved abroad, but she could not outrun her past.
- Phrasecannot outrun your past
cannot escape problems from earlier in life
See also
Similar
- outpace
- outdistance
- leave behind
Shades of meaning
Contrast
- fall behind
- trail
Used with (collocations)
- outrun a pursuer
- outrun the competition
- try to outrun
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- outrunverb
Forms
- outranpast tenseverb
- outrunning-ing formverb
- outrunsverb