outrun
B2Neutral to formal. Common in written reports, news, and descriptive narratives.
Definition
Meaning
To run faster or farther than someone or something; to surpass or exceed in a race, competition, or metaphorical sense.
To escape from a pursuer; to go beyond a limit, expectation, or prediction; (of costs, demand, etc.) to increase faster than something else.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a dynamic competition or a situation where one entity is trying to stay ahead of another. Can be used literally (physical running) or figuratively (economics, technology, problems).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. Slightly more common in American English in financial/news contexts (e.g., 'spending outruns revenue').
Connotations
Both varieties share connotations of competition, escape, and exceeding limits.
Frequency
Comparable frequency; a mid-frequency word in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SUBJ + outrun + OBJ (He outran the dog).SUBJ + outrun + OBJ + in + COMP (Demand outran supply in the first quarter).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “You can't outrun your past.”
- “Outrun the clock.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Often used for financial metrics: 'Costs have outrun our initial projections.'
Academic
Used in economics, history, and sociology to describe trends surpassing others.
Everyday
Used for physical pursuits: 'I can outrun my brother.'
Technical
Used in computing/game AI: 'The algorithm allows the character to outrun its pursuers.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The footballer easily outran the defender.
- Inflation has outrun the government's target.
American English
- The suspect tried to outrun the police cruiser.
- Their spending is starting to outrun their income.
adverb
British English
- N/A (Not standard as an adverb).
American English
- N/A (Not standard as an adverb).
adjective
British English
- N/A (Not standard as an adjective).
American English
- N/A (Not standard as an adjective).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My dog is very fast. Can you outrun him?
- She trained hard and managed to outrun her main competitor in the final lap.
- The company's rapid growth has completely outrun its outdated IT infrastructure.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a race: 'OUT' means outside/beyond, 'RUN' is the action. To OUTRUN is to run beyond someone else's position.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A RACE / PROBLEMS ARE PURSUERS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not 'выбегать' (to run out). Closer to 'обогнать' (to overtake) or 'убежать от' (to run away from).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'outrun' as a noun (incorrect: 'He took the outrun.').
- Confusing with 'run out of' (to have no more left).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'outrun' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The past tense and past participle is 'outran'.
Yes, it's very common in figurative contexts like economics ('demand outruns supply') or personal issues ('outrun one's reputation').
No, it's a transitive verb. The object comes directly after it (e.g., outrun the danger).
'Outrun' is about speed or rate exceeding another. 'Outweigh' is about importance, value, or physical weight being greater.