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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 /

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 ² 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 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

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

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

A spokesman told AFP it would be "a ring trial in the DRC", involving the circle of contacts around known cases.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Because if the Panthère ring is the established icon, the Panthère sunglasses are the fresh upstart.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Nearby, a woman with timeless preschool-teacher energy played the accordion for a ring of toddlers as shoppers crowded around nearly white ears of sweet corn.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

Now, the U.S. is stepping into the ring, promoting a Freefly drone to challenge China’s lead in delivering supplies to climbers and carrying away the waste.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

My first thought was that the yellow ring had gotten tangled in a bush, and while the monkeys were flouncing and dragging the net over the ground, the net had opened.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

As we reach the peak of this summer, listen to the latest Decoder Ring for a fascinating investigation into our changing attitudes toward sun exposure.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026

Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire".

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

The company is developing a lunar lander, a spacecraft called Blue Ring and a satellite-communications network.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

"If you look at the aerial view of her property, you could actually pull in the driveway and not ever be on her Ring camera."

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

Said he’s gonna set it up so I can premiere the song in a live performance at the Ring.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

The pair returned to Paramoor Woods by bus and at about 21:00 BST Coleman rang his grandmother for the final time.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

While many had initially worried about the possibility of a hike on Wednesday, the market’s verdict by the time the closing bell rang suggested growing concern about a potential Fed policy mistake in the making.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

He and his wife fled in minutes when their phones rang with the evacuation alert, and left their village Aldea del Fresno with virtually nothing.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

One question rang across the crowd: “If no one goes to shop, how will we find work?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

The clang of those two doors rang in my ears as the slow march continued.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

"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 Somers IBM plant sits on a hilltop, ringed by woods, its pyramids visible from nearby Interstate 684.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

The sports complex is ringed with four elephant-size logos of the apparel company, one of the perks of a $220 million naming-rights sponsorship that saw its brand splashed far and wide during the Super Bowl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

A courtyard ringed by a brick wall anchors the buildings, and neighbors are invited to paint on it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

By midmorning, they climbed over a rise in the road and saw a small bay ringed with mountains.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Explosions starting ringing out in the capital at around 01:00 am, an AFP journalist heard.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Tinnitus, often described as ringing in the ears, occurs when someone perceives a sound inside the ear or head even though no external source is producing it.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026

Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that can cause severe dizziness, ringing in the ears, hearing loss and ears feeling congested, according to the NIH.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

For some African countries who were negotiating the bilateral MOUs, it was concerns over US access to health data which set alarm bells ringing.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

I brushed my hands over the wood and spun the wheel, its whir ringing like music.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

"Even if he thought he couldn't have saved Claudio, he would've tried and he would've rung emergency services, without a doubt."

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

It was the fourth consecutive World Cup in which the U.S. has gone out in the final 16, a rung on the tournament ladder the Americans have gotten past just once in 96 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

These magnificent phrases have rung down through the ages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

“The right question is whether Alan Greenspan, this huge guru who had tremendous influence, could have rung the bell better. And he could have,” said Kohn.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

But the highest rung of what’s possible is far beyond the world you can see.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• band
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• circle
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• racket
• syndicate