1788, "one who believes in the final restoration of all to God's favor after temporary punishment of the impenitent," from restoration + -ist. Related: Restorationism. Regarded from without as a form of universalism but a subject of contention in the sect 1820s-30s. As "one who restores dilapidated buildings," by 1877 (implied, perhaps, in anti-restorationist; at any rate, restorationist is by 1880).
1866, of persons, "to have the health or strength reduced," from the verbal phrase; see run (v.) + down (adv.). From 1896 of places, "dilapidated, shabby, seedy;" by 1894 of clocks, etc., "completely unwound." The earliest sense is "oppressed" (1680s). Compare rundown (n.).
The verbal phrase run down as "have the motive power exhausted" (of clocks, etc.) is by 1761; of persons, etc., "become weak or exhausted," by 1828. To run (something or someone) down "disparage, abuse" is by 1660s.
Replaced native slack, slothful, and idle as the usual word expressing the notion of averse to work. Lazy Susan is from 1917. Lazy-tongs is from 1785, "An instrument like a pair of tongs for old or very fat people, to take anything off the ground without stooping" [Grose, "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue"]. In his 1788 edition, Grose has lazy man's load: "Lazy people frequently take up more than they can safely carry, to save the trouble of coming a second time."
