Word
Forms
Infinitive
wring
Past
wrung
Past participle
wrung
Definition
v. to twist something tightly with your hands to squeeze out liquid. You might do this to a wet towel or a cloth after cleaning.
v. to squeeze or twist something forcefully to extract moisture or liquid. Often used metaphorically to describe the act of obtaining something through great effort or pressure.
Examples
“Wring the wet cloth before you wipe the table.”
“After the heavy rain, he had to wring out his socks before he could continue the hike.”
“The lawyers attempted to wring a confession from the witness, but her testimony remained remarkably consistent despite their aggressive questioning.”
Examples
simple
“Wring the wet cloth before you wipe the table.”
contextual
“After the heavy rain, he had to wring out his socks before he could continue the hike.”
complex
“The lawyers attempted to wring a confession from the witness, but her testimony remained remarkably consistent despite their aggressive questioning.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and often pairs with the particle 'out'. The past tense and past participle are both 'wrung'.
Pitfall
He ringed the towel
He wrung the towel
Learners confuse 'wring' with 'ring' or 'ringed'; the correct past tense of 'wring' is the irregular form 'wrung'.
Real-World Examples
“Without wringing out the fabric, leave it in a cool area to dry.” “Could it be that this is not just about delivering the world to oligarchs and corporations – not just about wringing as much profit from living systems as they can?” Etymology
From Middle English wringen, wryngen from Old English wringan (“to wring”), from Proto-Germanic wringaną (“to squeeze, twist, wring”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European wrenǵʰ-. Cognates * Ancient Greek ῥίμφα (rhímpha, “fast”) * Dutch wringen * Lithuanian reñgtis (“to bend down”) * Middle Low German wringen (Low German wringen) Old Frisian wringa (West Frisian wringe) * Old High German rinkan, ringan, ringan (Middle High German ringen, modern German wringen, German ringen (“to wrestle”))
Partly: * from Middle English wring, wringe (“twisting or wringing (of the neck)”), from Middle English wringen, wryngen (verb); and * from the modern English verb. See further at etymology 1.
From Middle English wring, wringe, wrynge (“a press, especially for olives or wine”) [and other forms], from Old English wringe, from wringan (verb): see further at etymology 1.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/wring
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0