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• Ring
  Ring

  noun

  a male given name.

ring

¹ American  

[ring] / rɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. 

      Also called finger ring. a typically circular band of metal or other durable material, especially one of gold or other precious metal, often set with gems, for wearing on the finger as an ornament, a token of betrothal or marriage, etc.

   2. a similar band of metal or other durable material worn as an ornament on another part of the body, such as on the toe or in a piercing.

2. anything resembling a band or circle.

   Fluff the napkins and pull them through the napkin rings.

   He lit his cigarette and blew a smoke ring.

   Synonyms:

   annulus, hoop, circlet, circle

3. a circular or surrounding line or mark.

   After a long, sleepless night, there were dark rings around his eyes.

4. a circular course.

   A group of us kids were playing one of those games where you have to dance in a ring.

5. a number of people or things situated in a circle or in an approximately circular arrangement: a ring of hills;

   a ring of stones;

   a ring of hills;

   a ring of spectators.

6. the outside edge of a circular object; rim.

   When the two coins are compared, there are differences in the color of the brass alloy used for the outer ring.

7. an enclosed area, often circular, as for a sports contest or exhibition.

   a circus ring.

   Synonyms:

   circle, rink, arena

8. a bullring.

9. an enclosure in which boxing and wrestling matches take place, usually consisting of a square, canvas-covered platform with surrounding ropes that are supported at each corner by posts.

   It was nearly a year before he recovered from his injuries and was ready to box again, but he's back in the ring tonight.

10. the sport of boxing; prizefighting.

    In the heyday of the ring, fighters could make a living at their sport.

11. (formerly in the United States, now only in Britain) an area in a racetrack where bookmakers take bets.

12. a group of people cooperating for unethical, illicit, or illegal purposes, such as to control stock-market prices, manipulate politicians, or elude the law.

    The police busted a ring of smugglers.

    Synonyms:

    syndicate, mob, gang, league, confederacy

13. a single turn in a spiral or helix or in a spiral course.

14. Geometry. the area or space between two concentric circles.

15. annual ring.

16. a circle of bark cut from around a tree.

17. Chemistry. a number of atoms so united that they may be graphically represented in cyclic form.

18. Architecture. rowlock.

19. Nautical. a bowlike or circular piece at the top of an anchor, to which the chain or cable is secured.

20. Also called spinning ring. Textiles. (in aring-spinning frame ) a circular track of highly polished steel on which the traveler moves and which twists the yarn by variations in its vertical movement.

21. Also called ring gauge. a unit of measurement of the diameter of cigars, equal to 1/64 of an inch.

22. Automotive, Machinery. piston ring.

23. Mathematics. a set that is closed under the operations of addition and multiplication and that is an Abelian group with respect to addition and an associative semigroup with respect to multiplication and in which the distributive laws relating the two operations hold.

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verb (used with object)

ringed, ringing

1. to surround; encircle.

   The lake is ringed with forest and farmland.

2. to hem in (animals) by riding or circling about them.

   The cowboys ringed the cattle they would be driving to market.

3. girdle.

4. (in horseshoes, ringtoss, etc.) to encircle (a stake or peg) with a ring, horseshoe, etc.

5. to insert a ring through the nose of (an animal).

verb (used without object)

ringed, ringing

1. to form a ring or rings.

   A crowd of onlookers ringed around the man who had fallen.

2. to move in a ring or a constantly curving course.

   The road rings around the mountain.

idioms

1. run rings around, to be obviously superior to; surpass; outdo.

   As an artist, she can run rings around her brother.

2. throw / toss one's hat in the ring. hat.

ring ² American  

[ring] / rɪŋ /

verb (used without object)

rang, rung, ringing

1. to give forth a clear resonant sound, as a bell when struck.

   The doorbell rang twice.

2. to make a given impression on the mind; appear.

   words that rang false; a story that rings true.

3. to cause a bell or bells to sound, especially as a summons.

   Just ring if you need anything.

4. to sound loudly; be loud or resonant; resound (often followed byout ).

   His brave words rang out.

5. to be filled with sound; reecho with sound, as a place.

6. (of the ears) to have the sensation of a continued humming sound.

7. Chiefly British. to telephone.

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verb (used with object)

rang, rung, ringing

1. to cause (a bell or device with a bell) to ring; sound by striking.

   to ring a bell.

2. to produce (sound) by or as if by ringing.

   The bell rang a low tone.

3. to announce or proclaim, usher in or out, summon, signal, etc., by or as if by the sound of a bell.

   to ring someone's praises; The bell rang the hour.

4. to test (a coin or other metal object) by the sound it produces when struck against something.

5. Chiefly British. to telephone.

noun

1. a ringing sound, as of a bell or bells.

   the ring of sleigh bells.

2. a sound or tone likened to the ringing of a bell.

   Rings of laughter issued from the school.

3. any loud sound; sound continued, repeated, or reverberated.

   the ring of iron upon stone.

4. a set or peal of bells.

5. a telephone call.

   Give me a ring tomorrow.

6. an act or instance of ringing a bell.

   No one answered my ring.

7. a characteristic sound, as of a coin.

8. the aspect or impression presented by a statement, an action, etc., taken as revealing a specified inherent quality.

   a ring of assurance in her voice; the ring of truth; a false ring.

   Synonyms:

   quality, tone, sound

verb phrase

1. ring in

   1. to indicate one's arrival at work by punching in on a time clock.

   2. Informal. to introduce artfully or fraudulently.

      to ring in an imposter.

2. ring off

   1. to terminate a telephone conversation.

   2. British Slang. to stop talking.

   3. British Slang. to go away.

3. ring up

   1. to register (the amount of a sale) on a cash register.

   2. to accomplish or record.

      to ring up a series of successes.

   3. Chiefly British. to telephone.

4. ring out

   1. to indicate one's departure from work by punching out on a time clock.

   2. to make a sound or noise; resound.

      The church bells rang out.

idioms

1. ring the changes. change.

2. ring down the curtain,

   1. to direct that the curtain of a theater be lowered or closed.

   2. to lower or close the curtain in front of a stage.

3. ring down the curtain on, to bring to an end.

   The accident rang down the curtain on his law career.

4. ring up the curtain on, to begin; inaugurate; initiate.

   The $100-a-plate dinner rang up the curtain on the hospital's fund-raising drive.

5. ring the / someone's bell. bell.

6. ring up the curtain,

   1. to direct that the curtain of a theater be raised or opened.

   2. to raise or open the curtain in front of a stage.

7. ring a bell. bell.

Ring ³ American  

[ring] / rɪŋ /

noun

1. a male given name.

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ring ¹ British  

/ rɪŋ /

verb

1. to emit or cause to emit a sonorous or resonant sound, characteristic of certain metals when struck

2. to cause (a bell) to emit a ringing sound by striking it once or repeatedly or (of a bell) to emit such a sound

3. 1. (tr) to cause (a large bell, esp a church bell) to emit a ringing sound by pulling on a rope that is attached to a wheel on which the bell swings back and forth, being sounded by a clapper inside it Compare chime 1

   2. (intr) (of a bell) to sound by being swung in this way

4. (intr) (of a building, place, etc) to be filled with sound; echo

   the church rang with singing

5. to call by means of a bell, buzzer, etc

   to ring for the butler

6. Also: ring up. to call (a person) by telephone

7. (tr) to strike or tap (a coin) in order to assess its genuineness by the sound produced

8. (intr) (of the ears) to have or give the sensation of humming or ringing

9. (intr) electronics (of an electric circuit) to produce a damped oscillatory wave after the application of a sharp input transition

10. slang to change the identity of (a stolen vehicle) by using the licence plate, serial number, etc, of another, usually disused, vehicle

11. to sound familiar; remind one of something, esp indistinctly

12. 1. to lower the curtain at the end of a theatrical performance

    2. (foll by on) to put an end (to)

13. to give the impression of being false

14. 1. to do, say, or be the right thing

    2. to reach the pinnacle of success or happiness

15. to vary the manner or performance of an action that is often repeated

16. to give the impression of being true

    that story doesn't ring true

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noun

1. the act of or a sound made by ringing

2. a sound produced by or suggestive of a bell

3. any resonant or metallic sound, esp one sustained or re-echoed

   the ring of trumpets

4. informal a telephone call

   he gave her a ring last night

5. the complete set of bells in a tower or belfry See peal 1

   a ring of eight bells

6. an inherent quality or characteristic

   his explanation has the ring of sincerity

7. electronics the damped oscillatory wave produced by a circuit that rings

ring ² British  

/ rɪŋ /

noun

1. a circular band usually of a precious metal, esp gold, often set with gems and worn upon the finger as an adornment or as a token of engagement or marriage

2. any object or mark that is circular in shape

3. a circular path or course

   to run around in a ring

4. a group of people or things standing or arranged so as to form a circle

   a ring of spectators

5. an enclosed space, usually circular in shape, where circus acts are performed

6. a square apron or raised platform, marked off by ropes, in which contestants box or wrestle

7. the sport of boxing

8. the field of competition or rivalry

9. to announce one's intention to be a candidate or contestant

10. a group of people usually operating illegally and covertly

    a drug ring

    a paedophile ring

11. (esp at country fairs) an enclosure, often circular, where horses, cattle, and other livestock are paraded and auctioned

12. an area reserved for betting at a racecourse

13. a circular strip of bark cut from a tree or branch, esp in order to kill it

14. a single turn in a spiral

15. geometry the area of space lying between two concentric circles

16. maths a set that is subject to two binary operations, addition and multiplication, such that the set is an Abelian group under addition and is closed under multiplication, this latter operation being associative

17. botany short for annual ring

18. Also called: closed chain. chem a closed loop of atoms in a molecule

19. astronomy any of the thin circular bands of small bodies orbiting a giant planet, esp Saturn See also Saturn 2

20. informal to be greatly superior to; outclass completely

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verb

1. to surround with or as if with or form a ring; encircle

2. to mark (a bird) with a ring or clip for subsequent identification

3. to fit a ring in the nose of (a bull, pig, etc) so that it can be led easily

4. Also: ringbark.

   1. to cut away a circular strip of bark from (a tree or branch) in order to kill it

   2. to cut a narrow or partial ring from (the trunk of a tree) in order to check or prevent vigorous growth

5. to be the fastest shearer in a shearing shed (esp in the phrase ring the shed )

ring Scientific  

/ rĭng /

1. A set of elements subject to the operations of addition and multiplication, in which the set is an abelian group under addition and associative under multiplication and in which the two operations are related by distributive laws.

2. A group of atoms linked by bonds that may be represented graphically in circular or triangular form. Benzene, for example, contains a ring of six carbon atoms. All cyclic compounds contain one or more rings.

3. See annulus

4. See growth ring

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ring More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing ring

• brass ring
• give someone a ring
• have a familiar ring
• run rings around
• three-ring circus
• throw one's hat in the ring

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Usage

Rang and sang are the correct forms of the past tenses of ring and sing , although rung and sung are still heard informally and dialectally: he rung ( rang ) the bell

Synonym Usage

Ring, clique are terms applied with disapproving connotations to groups of persons. Ring suggests a small and intimately related group, combined for selfish and often dishonest purposes: a gambling ring. A clique is a small group that prides itself on its congeniality and exclusiveness: cliques in a school.

Other Word Forms

• ringingness
  noun
• ringless
  adjective
• ringlike
  adjective
• ringingly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of ring¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hring; cognate with Dutch, German ring, Old Norse hringr; akin to rank ¹

Origin of ring²

First recorded before 900; Middle English ringen, ringge, Old English hringan; cognate with Old Norse hringja, German ringen

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Explanation

A ring is a circular or oval shape, like the rings around Saturn or a ring of trees surrounding an open field, or the ring of delicious fried pastry that we call a doughnut. Angels are often shown in paintings with a ring hovering over their heads — a halo. And if you've ever ordered onion rings, you know that they're circle-shaped slices of onion that are battered, fried, and eaten with ketchup. Then there's the ring, usually made of silver or gold, that's worn as jewelry on a finger. As a verb, to ring is to form a circle, as in the children's song and game "Ring Around the Rosie."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ring Ring rang ringed ringing rung

In the front yard of Ryan Elam’s Mediterranean-inspired home in San Diego County, a ring of drought-tolerant bushes is bedded in roughly $6,000 worth of fresh mulch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

The Knicks celebrated their first NBA championship in 53 years with a ring ceremony and raising a banner to the rafters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Outside the ring, he enjoyed enormous commercial success through his George Foreman Grill, which introduced him to an entirely new generation of fans.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

The paper says the inquiry found ministers treated the sector "like an afterthought" during the pandemic, and then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock's claim that the government had placed a protective ring around care homes was unfounded.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

“I saw a fairy ring this morning,” I said.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

But the One Ring — the weapon that will reshape Middle-earth — is the true star, and the new peek at the third season revels in its creation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

“The Lord of the Rings” fans have reason to celebrate with the release of “The Rings of Power” Season 3 trailer: “One Ring to rule them all” is upon us.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Many people who want home-security cameras have already installed Ring devices from Amazon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The UFC chief is partnered with Alalshikh through Zuffa Boxing and featured prominently in the announcement, with Netflix describing the event as a collaboration involving White and Alalshikh's The Ring.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

And with that he raced round the last corner, only to find that by some trick of the tunnel, or of the hearing which the Ring gave him, he had misjudged the distance.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

We were four days out from mixing or from mastering the album, and Carlos rang me.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

On the day AFP visited the school, air raid alerts rang out five times between 7:30 am and 5:00 pm.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

The paper also reported that Paxton rang in 2025 at a New Year’s party in Dubai attended by two men federal prosecutors had indicted for allegedly embezzling millions from an Illinois hospital.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026

The move in yields had reversed by the time the closing bell rang.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 4, 2026

As though it was choreographed, cries of outrage rang out, and I wished I’d paid more attention to what the guy was saying.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Since 1982, policymakers and prominent economists have gathered in this valley ringed by mountains in Grand Teton National Park -- known to most people more for its bison than for spirited debates on macroeconomics.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Since 1982, policymakers and prominent economists have gathered in this remote valley ringed by mountains in Grand Teton National Park -- known to most people more for its bison than for spirited debates on macroeconomics.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

"I have ringed quite a few groups of five and four owlets this year. But this is the first brood of six I have found," he added.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

The birds are ringed and tagged to allow conservationists to track their movements and understand their life history.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

The town was ringed by the river, the creek, the lakes, and numerous other springs.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

Alarm bells aren’t ringing yet, but Rosenberg says the chances of a recession in the next year-and-a-half have risen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Wedding bells are ringing for Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio and his longtime girlfriend Nikki Hall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

The title track balances ringing classic rock chords mixed with Morello’s trademark Bomb Squad-esque riffs against a half-spoken, half-chanted narration and a white-hot guitar solo.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

If a normal-sized tuning fork had the same relative ability to sustain vibrations, it would continue ringing for several hours.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

The police station is full of people moving around, talking, phones ringing, doors opening and closing.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

By the time the teenager was replaced in the 74th minute, with Bradley Barcola taking over, the chants of "Rio, Rio, Rio" had repeatedly rung around Anfield.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

At the lowest consumer-friendly rung rest affordable fillers and Botox injections.

From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026

Moody’s rated the capital structure Ba1, or the highest “junk”-rated category, while S&P Global and Fitch gave it at BBB- rating, the lowest rung in the investment-grade category.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

But he had also taught me some of Russian prison’s unwritten rules—and how I could avoid ending up in the lowest rung of its caste system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

When he did, he was hanging from the third-to-last rung like they were monkey bars, which he’d never been able to cross in his entire life.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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