to run around after
1
4.0
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
correr detrás de
- Is it really a great idea for him to go running around after large groups of people at night, all while talking on his cellphone?
And that he was running around after women sexually harassing, possibly assaulting them.
- And that he was running around after women sexually harassing, possibly assaulting them.
Examples
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My dad spent his evenings in the pub, and my mum ran around after six children.
Blog text (25) -
My grandmother always ran around after the grandchildren, making sure they were fed and happy.
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She spends her weekends running around after her two toddlers, always trying to keep them entertained.
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After school, he runs around after his friends, organizing games and making plans for the weekend.
Antonyms
How Persistent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The parts 'run' (move quickly), 'around' (about/in various places) and 'after' (following) combine transparently to convey moving about in pursuit of or busily attending to someone, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the core meaning. The broader sense of doing errands or attending to someone's needs is a predictable metaphorical extension of that motion image and is common across languages, supporting transparency.
Etymology
Run around after comes from the picture of someone running everywhere, going around and staying after a person to catch up or help them. That's why it now means 'to follow' or 'to take care of someone's needs' with a lot of energy, often again and again.