rung

¹ American  

[ruhng] / rʌŋ /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of ring.

---

rung ² American  

[ruhng] / rʌŋ /

noun

• rungs
  plural

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

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

3. a spoke of a wheel.

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

5. a stage in a scale, level in a hierarchy, etc.; degree.

   He rose a few rungs in the company.

---

rung ¹ British  

/ rʌŋ /

noun

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

2. a crosspiece between the legs of a chair, etc

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

4. dialect a cudgel or staff

---

rung ² British  

/ rʌŋ /

verb

1. the past participle of ring 2

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rungless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• rungs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rung

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

Explanation

A rung is one of the horizontal steps of a ladder. You should never stand on the very top rung of a ladder — it can be dangerous! From the literal ladder definition of rung, a place to put your foot (or hand) as you climb up, comes the metaphorical meaning of "a level." For example, if you get a promotion at work, you might say you're climbing up the rungs of the company. The horizontal bars between the legs of a chair are also rungs. This word comes from a Germanic root meaning "stake, staff, or bar."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rung rungs

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

No one will give speeches at the ceremony, while bereaved family members will read out the names of all of those killed and a bell rung to mark major moments during the attack.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

That new qualification would be Level 1, a rung lower than GCSEs.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

“Condos really represent kind of the entry rung to the homeownership ladder,” Berner, the economist, said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

It had been half an hour since the doorbell had rung last.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

“The bottom rungs young grads depend on are being pulled away,” said Gad Levanon, chief economist at the Burning Glass Institute, a labor-market think tank focused on the future of work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

The jump in interest rates is making it especially hard for those on low economic rungs to dig out of debt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Another Briton, Billy Harris, travelled around the lower rungs of the circuit sleeping in his Transit van for three-and-a-half years.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

Phil guest conductor while rising to the top rungs of the international orchestral circuit, along with obtaining a commercial flying license and piloting, now and then, for Air France.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

The loft vibrated with every heavy footfall on the ladder’s rungs.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack