Cool MateMeet vs Run into
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Meet
Top 1,000 (very common)A1verb
Run into
Top 2,000 (common)
Most common: Meet
| Meet | Run into | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/miːt/","/miːts/","/met/","/ˈmiːtɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/miːt/","/miːts/","/met/","/ˈmiːtɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //rʌn ˈɪntuː//🇺🇸 //rʌn ˈɪntu// |
| Meaning | To see and talk to someone for the first time. | to meet someone unexpectedly |
| Example | I will meet my friend at the park tomorrow. | I ran into an old classmate at the grocery store. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | first, regularly, once, arrange to, chance to, happen to, at, for, with, look forward to meeting somebody, nice to meet you, pleased to meet you, first, regularly, once, arrange to, chance to, happen to, at, for, with, look forward to meeting somebody, nice to meet you, pleased to meet you, first, regularly, once, arrange to, chance to, happen to, at, for, with, look forward to meeting somebody, nice to meet you, pleased to meet you, head-on, be able to, can, be unable to | run into trouble, run into a friend, run into a problem |
| Antonyms | depart, leave, part | avoid, miss, evade |
| Common mistakes | 'Meet' used without an object, e.g., saying 'I will meet' instead of 'I will meet you.', Confused with 'met,' the past tense form., Using 'meet' when you mean 'met' when talking about past events. | Confused with 'run onto', meaning to reach a physical location., Using in the wrong tense, e.g., 'I run into him yesterday.', Confusing with 'bump into', which has a similar meaning. |
| Usage notes | Use 'meet' when you are seeing someone that you have not seen before or when introducing people. Not usually used in very formal contexts like business meetings. | Use 'run into' when meeting someone by chance. It is appropriate in casual conversations but can also be used in more formal settings, though alternatives like 'encounter' may be preferred. |
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Frequently asked questions: Meet vs Run into
What's the difference between Meet and Run into?
Meet: To see and talk to someone for the first time. Run into: to meet someone unexpectedly
Which is more common: Meet and Run into?
Meet is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Meet: I will meet my friend at the park tomorrow. Run into: I ran into an old classmate at the grocery store.
Can I use Meet and Run into interchangeably?
Not always. Meet and Run into are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.