What does runnier mean?
Runnier is the comparative form of runny and means more liquid, more fluid, or more prone to flow than something else. It is commonly used for sauces, paints, soaps, and other substances whose consistency is looser than expected: a runnier batter spreads across the pan, while a runnier ink leaves a broader mark on the page. The word can also describe a nose producing more mucus than usual, as in a phrase such as a runnier nose, though runny nose is the usual fixed expression. Runnier can carry a mildly negative or humorous tone when it describes food that has become too fluid, but it is otherwise neutral and descriptive. Its standard superlative is runniest.
adjectiveComparative of runny. More liquid or fluid than expected, or having a greater flow of mucus than usual.
- More liquid or fluid than expected, so it flows or spreads easily.
- Having a greater flow of mucus than usual, especially from the nose.
"The sauce became runnier when she added another ladle of stock."
"The rain left the pavement wetter and runnier than the pavement beside it."
"A cold had given him a runnier nose than the rest of the class."
One extra syllable turns runny into runnier: the comparative for anything that keeps flowing when you wish it would stay put.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of runnier
Runny was formed in the sixteenth century from the English verb run and the suffix -y, with the original sense referring to something liquid or semiliquid. The verb run comes from Old English rinnan, an inherited Germanic word meaning to move quickly or flow. English later developed runner, running, and runoff from the same verbal root, while runny acquired the additional sense of secreting mucus.
Related word forms
How runnier is actually used
Runnier is the comparative of runny; the superlative is runniest. It is standard in both British and American English, though the nasal-discharge sense is especially associated with the expression runny nose.