wring

[ ring ]

verb (used with object)

, wrung, wring·ing.

1. to twist forcibly:

   He wrung the chicken's neck.

2. to twist and compress, or compress without twisting, in order to force out water or other liquid (often followed by out ):

   to wring clothes.

3. to extract or expel by twisting or compression (usually followed by out or from ).
4. to affect painfully by or as if by some contorting or compressing action.
5. to clasp tightly with or without twisting:

   to wring one's hands in pain.

6. to force (usually followed by off ) by twisting.
7. to extract or get by forceful effort or means (often followed by out ).

verb (used without object)

, wrung, wring·ing.

1. to perform the action of wringing something.
2. to writhe, as in anguish.

noun

1. a wringing; forcible twist or squeeze.

wring

/ rɪŋ /

verb

1. often foll by out to twist and compress to squeeze (a liquid) from (cloth, etc)
2. tr to twist forcibly

   wring its neck

3. tr to clasp and twist (one's hands), esp in anguish
4. tr to distress

   wring one's heart

5. tr to grip (someone's hand) vigorously in greeting
6. tr to obtain by or as if by forceful means

   wring information out of

7. intr to writhe with or as if with pain
8. wringing wet
   soaking; drenched

noun

1. an act or the process of wringing

Other Words From

• outwring verb (used with object) outwrung outwringing

Word History and Origins

Origin of wring¹

before 900; Middle English wringen, Old English wringan; cognate with German ringen to wrestle

Word History and Origins

Origin of wring¹

Old English wringan; related to Old High German ringan (German wringen ), Gothic wrungō snare. See wrangle , wrong

Example Sentences

Some things never change as we wring out the old year and ring in the new one.

From The Daily Beast

To wring all that can be wrung from metaphor, note what our elected and appointed officials are not dressed as.

From The Daily Beast

It would wring our gizzards intolerably to see so much good stuff going to waste.

From The Daily Beast

This makes what Obama and John Kerry manage to wring out of the Russians in the next two days absolutely crucial.

From The Daily Beast

It could find other ways to wring costs of its operations, like using less packaging or electricity.

From The Daily Beast

It was difficult, with the mean appliances of the time, to wring subsistence from the reluctant earth.

From Project Gutenberg

They like things on a small scale and know how to wring a dollar out of every five-cent piece.

From Project Gutenberg

Rinse it through a clean, lukewarm water; wring it lengthways, and stretch it well.

From Project Gutenberg

If the latter, of course the owner could wring the cocks neck and the incident would be closed.

From Project Gutenberg

But unless he loses his voice before long I shall have to wring his neck—no easy job—or do without my usual amount of sleep.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• draw out
• extort
• extract
• squeeze
• wrench
• wrest