run down
[verb]
Synonyms:
- criticize, bad-mouth (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), belittle, decry, denigrate, disparage, knock (informal), rubbish (informal), slag (off) (slang)
- reduce, curtail, cut, cut back, decrease, downsize, trim
- knock down, hit, knock over, run into, run over
- weaken, debilitate, exhaust
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- exhausted, below par, debilitated, drained, enervated, unhealthy, weak, weary, worn-out
- dilapidated, broken-down, decrepit, ramshackle, seedy, shabby, worn-out

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Related Words: abandoned, derelict, deserted, desolate, forsaken, lorn

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English Thesaurus: condition, state, in (a) bad/terrible/awful condition, shabby, tattered, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

run down phrasal verb (see also run)

1. run somebody/something ↔ down to drive into a person or animal and kill or injure them:
Their daughter was run down by a car.

2. run somebody/something ↔ down informal to criticize someone or something in a way that is unfair:
There’s a lot of good things about homeopathic treatment. I’m certainly not running it down.

3. if a clock, machine, battery etc runs down, it has no more power and stops working

4. to make a company, organization etc gradually reduce in size, especially in order to close it in the future, or to gradually reduce in size
run something ↔ down
Many smaller local hospitals are being run down.
The business had been running down for a long time.

5. if a supply of something runs down, or if you run it down, there gradually becomes less of it:
Crude oil reserves are running down.
run something ↔ down
Electricity generating companies are running down stocks and cutting purchases.

6. run down something to read a list of people or things:
Let me just run down the list of people who’ve been invited.

7. run somebody/something down to find someone or something after searching for a long time:
I finally ran him down at his new office in Glendale. ⇒ rundown, run-down

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

ˌrun-ˈdown adjective

1. a building or area that is run-down is in very bad condition:
a run-down inner-city area

2. [not before noun] someone who is run-down is tired and not healthy:
You look a bit run-down.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

condition how something looks and whether it is damaged, working etc or not:
The price of used cars varies according to their condition.
How well your plants will grow depends on the quality and condition of the soil.
The house is in very good condition.
state the condition of something at a particular time – use this especially when something is in bad condition because it has not been well looked after:
One of the things people complain of most is the state of the sidewalks.
When I got back home, I was horrified to see what a terrible state the kitchen was in.
in (a) bad/terrible/awful condition (also in a bad state especially British English) if something is in bad condition, it is damaged, dirty, not working properly, etc:
The road was in a very bad condition.
The inspectors said the bridge was in a bad state and potentially dangerous.
shabby used especially about clothes, furniture, or buildings that are in bad condition because they are old and have been used a lot:
His clothes were shabby and ill-fitting.
They lived in a shabby one-room apartment.
tattered used about clothes or books that are old and torn:
The old man clutched a tattered copy of ‘War and Peace’.
The shirt was now tattered beyond recognition.
dilapidated used about a building that is in very bad condition because it has not been looked after:
He shared a dilapidated house with five other people.
The hotel looked slightly dilapidated.
run-down used about a building or area that is in bad condition, especially because the people who live there do not have enough money to look after it properly:
He found lodgings at a run-down motel.
We lived in a run-down part of the city.
derelict used about something such as a house or piece of land that is in very bad condition, because it has been empty for a very long time:
In the middle of town is a derelict building that used to be the school.
The land behind the factory is stony and derelict.
battered used about something that is old and in bad condition because it has been used a lot and treated roughly:
There was nothing in his office except for a few battered chairs.
Alex and Lisa used to drive around town in a battered old Fiat Uno.
rickety used about furniture and other structures that are in such bad condition that they look as if they would break if you tried to use them:
The staircase was old and rickety.
They sat around the card table on rickety old chairs.
a rickety bamboo fence
clapped-out British English informal, beat-up American English informal [usually before noun] used about a vehicle or machine that is so old that it does not work properly:
She drives an old beat-up Ford.
He was using a clapped-out old typewriter.
be falling apart especially spoken if something is falling apart, it is gradually breaking into pieces, because it is old or badly made:
I need some new shoes. These are falling apart.
be on its last legs informal if a vehicle or machine is on its last legs, it has been used so much and is in such bad condition that you will soon not be able to use it any more:
The washing machine was on its last legs.
have seen better days informal if something has seen better days, it is not in as good condition as it was:
The carpets, curtains, and cushions had all seen better days but still looked quite pretty.
She lived in an old Victorian house that had certainly seen better days.
in good condition something that is in good condition is not broken and has no marks or other things wrong with it:
The car hadn’t been used much, and was in very good condition.
The charity is accepting toys and clothing in good condition.
in good shape in good condition – used especially about a person or part of their body, or about something that has had a lot of use or is rather old:
Doctor Morrissey told her that her leg was healing well, and was now in very good shape.
To avoid accidents, it’s important to check that all your tools are in good shape before starting.
in perfect/mint condition something that is in perfect or mint condition looks as good or works as well as when it was new, especially because it has not been used or touched very much:
The book is over 100 years old, but it’s still in perfect condition.
The car had been kept in the garage for 20 years and was in mint condition.
as good as new something that is as good as new is almost as good as when it was new – used about things that have recently been cleaned or repaired:
I’ve just had the bike serviced, and it looks as good as new.
working conditions
An office must be able to provide safe working conditions.
living conditions
Living conditions in the camp were dreadful.
physical conditions
Many teachers have to work in poor physical conditions.
poor conditions
The refugees are living in camps in very poor conditions.
appalling/dreadful conditions (=very bad)
Some of the animals were being kept in appalling conditions.
overcrowded/crowded conditions
Families here are living in dirty, overcrowded conditions.
insanitary/unhygenic conditions (=dirty)
Diseases spread quickly among people living in insanitary conditions.
cramped conditions (=without enough space)
The hostages were held in extremely cramped conditions.
inhumane conditions
Live animals were transported under inhumane conditions.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

ill [not before noun] especially British English suffering from a disease or not feeling well:
Her mother is seriously ill in hospital.
I woke up feeling really ill.
sick especially American English ill:
She’s been sick with the flu.
a sick child
Dan got sick on vacation.
not very well [not before noun] ill, but not seriously ill:
Sarah’s not very well – she has a throat infection.
unwell [not before noun] formal ill:
The singer had been unwell for some time.
Symptoms include fever, aching muscles, and feeling generally unwell.
poorly [not before noun] British English spoken ill:
Your grandmother’s been very poorly lately.
in a bad way [not before noun] very ill because of a serious injury or disease:
You’d better call an ambulance – she looks like she’s in a bad way.
be off sick British English, be out sick American English to be not at work because of an illness:
Two teachers were off sick yesterday.
under the weather (also off colour British English) [not before noun] informal slightly ill:
Sorry I haven’t called you – I’ve been a bit under the weather lately.
You look a bit off colour – are you sure you’re OK?
run down [not before noun] feeling slightly ill and tired all the time, for example because you have been working too hard, or not eating well:
Some people take extra vitamins if they are feeling run down.
in poor health unhealthy and often ill:
Chopin was already in poor health when he arrived on the island.
delicate weak and likely to become ill easily:
She was delicate and pale and frequently complained of headaches.
He had a delicate constitution and throughout his adult life suffered from various illnesses.
sickly a sickly child is often ill:
He was a sickly child and spent a lot of time at home on his own.
His younger daughter was sickly and died when she was young.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

run down
run (you) down
to make you very tired.
All of these crises in the family have really run her down.

run down (something)
to use the power that makes something work.
We left the car lights on and ran down the battery.

I wound up the toy dog and watched it jump until it ran down.

run down (someone)
to injure or kill someone with a vehicle.
He's accused of running down two pedestrians while driving drunk.

She tried to run us down!

run down (someone/something)
1.
to search for and find someone or something.
We spend a lot of money each year running down students who are out of school illegally.

The software giant spent months running down bugs in the program and fixing them.

The cops tried to run these guys down, but they had no luck.

2.
to unfairly criticize someone or something.
People run down the justice system all the time, but it works relatively fairly.

Some people can only feel better about themselves if they're running you down.

3.
.
run down (something)
1.
to explain something.
I'll run down my research quickly.

T. J. ran it all down for him, explaining the different costs of each option.

2.
to reduce something.
We are going to start running down our savings if prices don't stop rising.

I want to run our supplies down some more before we reorder.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

run down something
run down (something)
to use the power that makes something work.
We left the car lights on and ran down the battery.

I wound up the toy dog and watched it jump until it ran down.

run down (someone/something)
1.
to search for and find someone or something.
We spend a lot of money each year running down students who are out of school illegally.

The software giant spent months running down bugs in the program and fixing them.

The cops tried to run these guys down, but they had no luck.

2.
to unfairly criticize someone or something.
People run down the justice system all the time, but it works relatively fairly.

Some people can only feel better about themselves if they're running you down.

3.
.
run down (something)
1.
to explain something.
I'll run down my research quickly.

T. J. ran it all down for him, explaining the different costs of each option.

2.
to reduce something.
We are going to start running down our savings if prices don't stop rising.

I want to run our supplies down some more before we reorder.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

run down
1. • run down
to be in poor condition
My father worked very hard last month and has become run down.

2. • run down (someone or something)
to crash against and knock down someone or something
A car ran down my dog last week.

3. • run down (someone)
to say bad things about someone, to criticize someone
The girl is always running down her friends. That is why nobody likes her.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

run down something
• run down (someone or something)
to crash against and knock down someone or something
A car ran down my dog last week.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

run down
v. (stress on "down")
1. To crash against and knock down or sink.
Jack rode his bicycle too fast and almost ran down his little brother.
It was so foggy that the steamship almost ran down a small boat leaving port.
Compare: RUN INTO(3a).
2a. To chase until exhausted or caught.
The dogs ran down the wounded deer.
2b. To find by hard and thorough search; also: trace to its cause or beginning.
The policeman ran down proof that the burglar had robbed the store.
Compare: HUNT DOWN.
2c. To catch (a base runner) between bases and tag out in baseball.
The pitcher saw that the base runner was not on base, so he surprised him by throwing the ball to the first baseman, who ran him down before he reached second base.
3. informal To say bad things about; criticize.
Suzy ran down the club because the girls wouldn't let her join.
Compare: FIND FAULT.
4. To stop working; not run or go.
The battery in Father's car ran down this morning.
The kitchen clock ran down because we forgot to wind it.
5. To get into poor condition; look bad.
A neighborhood runs down when the people don't take care of their houses.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

run down
adj. (stress on "run") In poor health or condition; weak or needing much work.
Grandma caught a cold because she was very run-down from loss of sleep.
The houses near the center of the city get more run-down every year.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲