runny

adjective

run·​ny ˈrə-nē How to pronounce runny (audio)
Synonyms of runnynext
: having a tendency to run: such as
a
: extremely or excessively soft and liquid
a runny dough
b
: secreting a thin flow of mucus
a runny nose

Synonyms of runny

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of runny in a Sentence

The scrambled eggs are runny. The pudding is runnier than I like it. a little boy with a runny nose My eyes felt itchy and runny.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Symptoms typically start between seven to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus and may present similarly to the flu, with signs like a cough, runny nose, red/watery eyes and a high fever that may spike to more than 104 degrees. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Symptoms can include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that often begins on the head and then spreads. — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Early symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, Pennsylvania health officials said, and a rash follows a few days later, starting on the head and spreading downward. — Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes and a rash that typically begins on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for runny

Word History

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of runny was in 1770

Rhymes for runny

See All Rhymes for runny

Browse Nearby Words

running wheel
runny
Runnymede
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Runny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runny. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

runny

adjective
run·​ny ˈrən-ē How to pronounce runny (audio)
runnier; runniest
1
: too soft and liquid
the scrambled eggs are runny
2
: giving off a liquid
a runny nose

Medical Definition

runny

adjective
run·​ny ˈrən-ē How to pronounce runny (audio)
: secreting a thin flow of mucus
a runny nose
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All