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

So, cry if you must, wring your hands, clutch your pearls and then get back into it.

From Salon

Often angry, she specialised in wringing laughs out of the most unlikely material.

From BBC

"It feels like a wet towel and you're wringing it in your stomach and pain shoots down your legs and it hurts my back, just like an overall ache," she said.

From BBC

Taddeo’s and Gia’s story is expansive, the result of spending most of a decade crisscrossing the country to find her subjects, sometimes staying in their towns to wring every drop out of their accounts.

From Salon

The discomfort wrung out by clashing sounds and uneven pitches can effectively convey moments of tension, distress or violence in an opera.

From Salon

Related Words

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