bull run: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Medium. Common in financial/business contexts, less common in everyday conversation.Formal to neutral in finance/business; can be informal when used metaphorically.
Quick answer
What does “bull run” mean?
A sustained period of rising prices in a financial market, driven by widespread optimism and investor confidence.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A sustained period of rising prices in a financial market, driven by widespread optimism and investor confidence.
Any prolonged period of significant growth, success, or bullish sentiment, not limited to finance. Can describe trends in technology, real estate, or even sports teams on a winning streak.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Concept and term are identical. Spelling conventions (e.g., 'behaviour' vs. 'behavior') do not apply to this compound noun.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties. The imagery of a charging bull is universally associated with aggressive upward movement.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American financial media due to the larger capital markets, but the term is standard in UK finance.
Grammar
How to Use “bull run” in a Sentence
The market is [experiencing/seeing/enjoying] a bull run.A bull run [lasted/continued] for X years.Investors [rode/profited from] the bull run.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bull run” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The FTSE 100's bull run surprised many analysts.
- We haven't seen a bull run like this since the late nineties.
American English
- The S&P 500's bull run is the longest in history.
- A bull run in housing prices is pricing out first-time buyers.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The bull run in tech stocks has created significant wealth for early investors.
Academic
The paper examines the macroeconomic drivers behind the prolonged bull run of the 2010s.
Everyday
Our local football team is on a real bull run this season, winning every match.
Technical
The bull run was characterized by low volatility and steadily increasing moving averages.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bull run”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bull run”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bull run”
- Using 'bull run' to describe a short-term price increase (use 'rally'). Confusing 'bull run' with 'bull market' (a bull run is a phase *within* a bull market). Using it for individual stocks instead of a broad market/segment.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A 'bull market' is the overarching condition of rising prices. A 'bull run' is a particularly strong, sustained period of growth *within* that bull market.
Yes, metaphorically. It can describe any prolonged period of success or growth, e.g., 'a bull run in sales' or 'a bull run for the team.'
There's no strict rule, but it implies a period of months or years, not days or weeks. It suggests a major, sustained trend.
Bull runs often end due to changing economic conditions (e.g., rising interest rates), external shocks, or when valuations become unsustainably high, leading to a loss of investor confidence.
A sustained period of rising prices in a financial market, driven by widespread optimism and investor confidence.
Bull run is usually formal to neutral in finance/business; can be informal when used metaphorically. in register.
Bull run: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbʊl ˌrʌn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbʊl ˌrʌn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Riding the bull run”
- “The bull run has legs (likely to continue)”
- “A bull run fueled by...”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BULL charging (RUNning) UP a hill. The hill represents rising stock prices.
Conceptual Metaphor
MARKETS ARE ANIMALS (specifically, a bull charging upward). PROSPERITY IS FORWARD MOTION.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the BEST synonym for 'bull run' in a financial context?