run off
To leave sudden, take off, or chase somebody away.
Also called ran off, runned off.
Updated September 24, 2026
run off pronunciation
/RUN awf/
Meaning
In rural Southern talk, run off covers a few everyday moves. A person can run off from home or town. A spouse can run off with somebody new. You can run a dog or a trespasser off your land. Farmers also talk about rain runoff washing dirt downhill, but the human sense is the one that fills porch gossip.
How folks use it
- “He run off to Florida and didn't leave a forwarding address.”
- “We had to run that stray dog off before it got in the chickens.”
Origin and etymology
Plain English run plus off, used for leaving or driving something away since early modern English. Southern and Appalachian speech kept the phrase busy for elopements, sudden departures, and chasing critters off the place. You often hear run as the past tense ("he run off") instead of ran.
Frequently asked questions
Does run off always mean forever?
No. Somebody might run off to the store and be back in twenty minutes. When folks say a husband run off, though, they usually mean he left for good.