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ring2

Pronunciation: /rɪŋ/

Translate ring | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of ring

verb (past rang /raŋ/; past participle rung /rʌŋ/)

  • 1 [no object] make a clear resonant or vibrating sound:a shot rang out a bell rang loudly
  • [with object] cause (a bell or alarm) to ring:he walked up to the door and rang the bell
  • (of a telephone) produce a series of resonant or vibrating sounds to signal an incoming call:the phone rang again as I replaced it
  • call for service or attention by sounding a bell:Ruth, will you ring for some tea?
  • [with object] sound (the hour, a peal, etc.) on a bell or bells:a bell ringing the hour
  • 2 [with object] British call by telephone:I rang her this morning Harriet rang Dorothy up next day [no object]:she rang to tell him the good news
  • 3 [no object] (ring with/to) (of a place) resound or reverberate with (a sound or sounds):the room rang with laughter
  • (of a person’s ears) be filled with a continuous buzzing or humming sound, especially as the after-effect of a blow or loud noise:he yelled so loudly that my eardrums rang
  • (ring with) be filled or permeated with (a particular quality):a clever retort which rang with contempt
  • [no object, with complement] convey a specified impression or quality:the author’s honesty rings true

noun

  • 1an act of ringing a bell, or the resonant sound caused by this:there was a ring at the door
  • each of a series of resonant or vibrating sounds signalling an incoming telephone call: she picked up the phone on the first ring
  • British informal a telephone call:I’d better give her a ring tomorrow
  • [in singular] a loud, clear sound or tone:the ring of sledgehammers on metal
  • a set of bells, especially church bells.
  • 2 [in singular] a particular quality conveyed by something heard or expressed:the song had a curious ring of nostalgia to it

Phrases

ring a bell

see bell1.

ring the changes

see change.

ring down (or up) the curtain

cause a theatre curtain to be lowered (or raised): they’ll have to ring down the curtain
mark the end (or the beginning) of an enterprise or event:the sendoff rings down the curtain on a major chapter in television history

ring in one's ears (or head)

linger in the memory:he left Washington with the president’s praises ringing in his ears

ring off the hook

North American (of a telephone) be constantly ringing due to a large number of incoming calls: once the word was out that we had tickets, the phone was ringing off the hook

Phrasal Verbs

ring someone/thing in (or out)

usher someone or something in (or out) by ringing a bell:the bells were beginning to ring out the old year

ring off

end a telephone call by replacing the receiver:before I ring off can I have a quick word with Colin?

ring something up

record an amount on a cash register:he took the money for the drinks and rang it up

Origin:

Old English hringan, of Germanic origin, perhaps imitative

Do not confuse wring with ring. Wring means 'twist or squeeze something' (I wanted to wring his neck), whereas the verb ring mainly means 'surround someone or something' (the courthouse was ringed with police) or 'make a clear sound' (a bell started to ring).

Spelling help

The different forms of the verb are: (rings, ringing; the past tense is rang and the past participle is rung).

ring in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of ring in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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