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View synonyms for

errand

[ er-uhnd ]

noun

  1. a short and quick trip to accomplish a specific purpose, as to buy something, deliver a package, or convey a message, often for someone else.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  2. the purpose of such a trip:

    He finished his errands.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  3. a special mission or function entrusted to a messenger; commission.


errand

/ ˈɛəԻ /

noun

  1. a short trip undertaken to perform a necessary task or commission (esp in the phrase run errands )
  2. the purpose or object of such a trip
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of errand1

First recorded before 900; Middle English erande, Old English æԻ; cognate with Old High German ܲԳī; compare Old English “mԲ,” Gothic airus; not related to err ( def ), errant ( def )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of errand1

Old English ǣԻ; related to messenger, Old Norse erendi message, Old High German unti, Swedish äԻ
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Idioms and Phrases

see fool's errand ; run an errand .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She is hesitant to go to church, hasn’t visited a doctor in months, and can’t run errands with any peace of mind.

From

But it would be churlish to say either way, comparing eras is a fool's errand.

From

“To try and extract more water from a system that doesn’t have it is just a fool’s errand,” he said.

From

Ron Washington, the manager of the Angels, went out to run some errands Thursday.

From

Maybe it’s a fool’s errand to look for logic in a film about unicorns, but an effective satire demands a realistic, recognizable framework.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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