Runaway
/ˈrʌnəweɪ/
Definitions
3 meaningsA person, animal, or thing that has escaped or is out of control.
/ˈrʌnəweɪ/
A person or animal that has escaped from captivity or control.
The circus discovered their runaway elephant.
💡 Simply: Imagine your pet hamster suddenly escapes its cage. That hamster is a 'runaway' – something that has gotten free!
👶 For kids: A runaway is something that ran away and isn't being controlled.
More Examples
The escaped convict was described as a runaway.
How It's Used
"The police searched for the runaway."
"The shelter took in the runaway dog."
That which is out of control or increasing very rapidly.
/ˈrʌnəweɪ/
Out of control or rapidly increasing.
The company experienced runaway success.
💡 Simply: Imagine your birthday party, and the fun just keeps going and going, even more than you ever thought it could! That would be like 'runaway' fun. Like a runaway party!
👶 For kids: When something is out of control or getting bigger really fast.
More Examples
The project had runaway costs.
How It's Used
"The country faced runaway inflation."
"A runaway train."
To escape or leave a place quickly, especially to avoid something.
/ˈrʌnəweɪ/
To escape or depart quickly
The children ran away when they saw the clown.
💡 Simply: If you don't like the game you're playing, you might decide to 'run away' from the game. Basically, to escape and leave the game to have something else.
👶 For kids: To leave a place quickly
More Examples
The runaway bride was a topic of conversation for days.
How It's Used
"She ran away from home."
"The suspect ran away from the police."
Idioms & expressions
runaway success
A great success that becomes very popular or widespread very quickly.
"The new product was a runaway success, exceeding all expectations."
run away with
To be carried away by something, or to steal something.
"She ran away with the idea and started the project immediately."
From 'run' + 'away'. The earliest uses were in the sense of a person escaping. Extended to mean something that is out of control in the late 18th century.
The word 'runaway' began appearing in the 17th century primarily to describe escapees, initially of humans and later animals.
Memory tip
Think of a horse that has 'run away' from its rider - it's escaped control.
Word Origin
"To move quickly on foot, to escape"