Word
errand
Phoneticser·rand, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɛɹənd/
UK/ˈɛɹənd/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a short trip you take to do a specific task, like going to the post office or buying groceries.
n. a short journey undertaken to deliver or collect something, or to perform a specific task on behalf of oneself or another.
Examples
“I have to run a quick errand before we meet for lunch.”
“She spent the entire Saturday morning running errands, including a trip to the dry cleaners and the bank.”
“The protagonist's simple errand to deliver a letter soon evolves into a complex journey that forces him to confront his past and the changing landscape of his hometown.”
Examples
simple
“I have to run a quick errand before we meet for lunch.”
contextual
“She spent the entire Saturday morning running errands, including a trip to the dry cleaners and the bank.”
complex
“The protagonist's simple errand to deliver a letter soon evolves into a complex journey that forces him to confront his past and the changing landscape of his hometown.”
Usage
Commonly used with the verb 'run' ('to run an errand').
Real-World Examples
“Clancy, 36, has admitted she killed her three children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — at the family’s Duxbury home in January 2023 while her husband was out running errands.” “W ell let me tell you home secretary – no matter how hard you chase, you’ll never catch up with [Nigel] Farage – that is a fool’s errand.” Etymology
From Middle English erande, erende, from Old English ǣrende, from Proto-West Germanic *ārundī (“message, errand”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/errand