ringer

1 of 2

noun (1)

ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər 

1

: one that sounds especially by ringing

2

a(1)

: one that enters a competition under false representations

(2)

: imposter, fake

b

: one that strongly resembles another

—often used with dead

he's a dead ringer for the senator

ringer

2 of 2

noun (2)

: one that encircles or puts a ring around (such as a quoit or horseshoe that lodges so as to surround the peg)

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• sham
• fake
• fraud
• imposter
• phoney
• pretender
• impostor
• deceiver
• quack

Examples of ringer in a Sentence

Noun (1)

no one was more surprised than the defendant when his lawyer turned out to be a ringer

he's a dead ringer for his grandfather

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Overall, though, except for a few ringers, the people around us, while quite intent, were very polite. —Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025

There’s a masochism element of loving being put through the ringer in some capacity. —Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 22 Oct. 2025

Of course, that’s not universal on the Warriors’ roster, but the four men whose knees, hips, and backs the entire season rests upon have been through the ringer more than a few times. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025

Oh, and it’s backed by experts to work for those who put their feet through the ringer. —Mary Honkus, Glamour, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ringer

• dead ringer
• ringer tee
• ringer T-shirt

Rhymes for ringer

• bringer
• clinger
• dinger
• inger
• slinger
• springer
• stinger
• stringer
• winger
• wringer

Kids Definition

ringer

1 of 2 noun

ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər 

1

: one that sounds especially by ringing

2

a

: one that enters a competition with a false identity

b

: one that strongly resembles another

—often used with dead

a dead ringer for the senator

ringer

2 of 2 noun

: a quoit or horseshoe that falls right over a peg