rʌn ɪts kɔːrs
Nature & Weather
neutral
intermediate
- Literally:
- A river following its natural path
What does "run its course" mean?
- To develop naturally without interference
- To continue until naturally completed
Examples
- Let the fever run its course—it should pass in a few days.
- The trend has run its course.
- Sometimes you just have to let things run their course.
Origin
From rivers running their natural course to the sea. Applied to diseases and natural processes that must complete themselves.
How to use it
Often used about illnesses, trends, or emotions that need time to resolve naturally.
Similar expressions
take its natural path
play out
run its time
Opposites
intervene
interrupt
cut short
Related idioms
- out of the blue
Unexpectedly; without warning
- beat around the bush
To avoid talking about the main point of a conversation
- every cloud has a silver lining
There is something positive in every negative situation
- go with the flow
To accept things as they are and adapt accordingly
- once in a blue moon
Very rarely; almost never
- tip of the iceberg
A small visible part of a much larger hidden problem
Use it in a practice answer
Try "run its course" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.