past form
Moved on your feet faster than walking.
/ɹæn/Common pronunciation
She ran to catch the bus.
He ran for the finish line.
American English
How to pronounce ran
verbB1Very common word
RAAN
/ɹæn/
One syllable.
Form of run
Ran is the past form of run. The past participle is run, not ran.
Moved on your feet faster than walking.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
past form
Worked or operated, especially when talking about a machine, vehicle, or system.
/ɹæn/Common pronunciation
The engine ran smoothly all day.
The car ran on electricity.
past form
Was in charge of a business, organization, activity, or event and organized it.
/ɹæn/Common pronunciation
She ran a small design company.
He ran the meeting yesterday.
past form
Continued for a particular amount of time or distance.
/ɹæn/Common pronunciation
The course ran for six weeks.
The sale ran from Monday to Friday.
Useful expressions
to use all of something so that none is left
We've run out of milk.
to meet someone unexpectedly
I ran into an old friend downtown.
after a long period of time, especially when thinking about future results
This choice will save money in the long run.
Related words & forms
The past form is ran, but the past participle is run. The -ing form is spelled running.