Run into the ground Meaning in English
expression
Definition
To use, operate, or criticize something or someone so much that they become worn out, ruined, or useless.
Usage & Nuances
This is an informal idiom, often used for businesses, ideas, or people who are exhausted from overuse or excessive effort. Common collocations: 'run a business into the ground,' 'run yourself into the ground,' 'run a joke into the ground' (use until it stops being funny). Implies negative results from doing too much.
Example Sentences
If you work too hard, you'll run yourself into the ground.
basic
They ran the company into the ground by spending too much money.
basic
He ran the joke into the ground until nobody laughed anymore.
basic
She poured her heart into the project but eventually ran herself into the ground.
natural
The new manager almost ran the store into the ground within a year.
natural
Don't keep bringing up that story—you're running it into the ground.
natural