rung

[ ruhng ]

/ rʌŋ /

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verb

simple past tense and past participle of ring².

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Words nearby rung

runesmith, rune-stone, run-flat, run for it, run foul, rung, Runge-Kutta method, run high, runic, run-in, run in place

Other definitions for rung (2 of 2)

rung²

[ ruhng ]

/ rʌŋ /

noun

one of the crosspieces, usually rounded, forming the steps of a ladder.

a rounded or shaped piece fixed horizontally, for strengthening purposes, as between the legs of a chair.

a spoke of a wheel.

a stout stick, rod, or bar, especially one of rounded section, forming a piece in something framed or constructed.

a stage in a scale, level in a hierarchy, etc.; degree: He rose a few rungs in the company.

Origin of rung

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hrung; cognate with Gothic hrunga rod, German Runge

OTHER WORDS FROM rung

rungless, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rung

rung , wrung

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rung in a sentence

After catching our breath at the bridge, we passed a set of iron rungs jutting out from a cliff, a shortcut back to the valley below.
A day’s drive from Chicago, exploring a very different Illinois|Carson Vaughan|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
The half-mile trail is almost entirely a stone staircase, with a few iron rungs embedded in granite.
The Ultimate Acadia National Park Travel Guide|Virginia M. Wright|February 8, 2021|Outside Online
The lowest rung is the stage where prospects take the action of conversion.
Four expert digital marketing strategies to convert bottom-funnel prospects|Guy Sheetrit|January 15, 2021|Search Engine Watch
Collecting, managing, and analyzing intersectional data on every employee, at every stage of the talent lifecycle, on every rung of the ladder, and across an entire organization is no small undertaking.
Better use of technology can help us close racial and gender gaps at work|matthewheimer|January 6, 2021|Fortune

Panpsychists look at the many rungs on the complexity ladder of nature and see no obvious line between mind and no-mind.
Electrons May Very Well Be Conscious - Issue 94: Evolving|Tam Hunt|December 30, 2020|Nautilus
I was of extremely low rank, a Senior Aircraftman – only one rung above the bottom.
I Saw Nuclear Armageddon Sitting on My Desk|Clive Irving|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She said that at one point someone had rung her mother and said "eye for an eye, you deserve to die".
Kate Prank Call DJ Tells of Death Threats|Tom Sykes|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen resides on the next highest rung of relative female liberation.
The Abused Wives of Westeros: A Song of Feminism in ‘Game of Thrones’|Amy Zimmerman|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still today, some children are told to “walk off” a blow to the head or shake off having had their “bell rung.”
Study Says Half of Jailed NYC Teens Have History of Brain Injury|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|April 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This hit dismantled a midlevel rung of a cartel, but the effect was only temporary.
The Devil’s Drug: The True Story of Meth in New Mexico|Nick Romeo|August 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Isaac Bolum had fixed himself comfortably on two legs of his chair, with the projecting soles of his boots caught behind the rung.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
If Menshikova had not supported him in her arms, the curtain must have been rung down, wrote Tchaikovsky to his brothers.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
I leaped and caught the bottom rung of a fire escape, pulled myself up until I could get a foothold.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
In every borough bells were rung; bonfires were lighted; and candles were placed in the windows at night.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
In her mind, as it were, she put down her good resolutions on the balcony and hurried in to see who had rung her up.
A Butterfly on the Wheel|Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull

British Dictionary definitions for rung (1 of 2)

rung¹

/ (rʌŋ) /

noun

one of the bars or rods that form the steps of a ladder

a crosspiece between the legs of a chair, etc

nautical a spoke on a ship's wheel or a handle projecting from the periphery

dialect a cudgel or staff

Derived forms of rung

rungless, adjective

Word Origin for rung

Old English hrung; related to Old High German runga, Gothic hrugga

British Dictionary definitions for rung (2 of 2)