rung

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Examples: rung in a Sentence

Definition of rung

past participle of ring

rung

noun \ ˈrəŋ \

Definition of rung

1 a : a rounded crosspiece between the legs of a chair

b : one of the crosspieces of a ladder

2 Scotland : a heavy staff or cudgel

3 : a spoke of a wheel

4 : a level in a hierarchy

rise a few rungs on the social scale
—H. W. Van Loon

See rung defined for English-language learners

Examples of rung in a Sentence

He was on the bottom rung on the corporate ladder.
the top rung of society
the lowest rung of the pay scale

Recent Examples of rung from the Web

Among the position players in the upper rungs of the Padres farm system, his growth over the last two years is arguably unmatched.

— jeff sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres' Franmil Reyes savoring teachable moments," 13 July 2018
Near the bottom rung of the minor leagues, a long path separates players on the Boise Hawks from the MLB All-Star Game.

— michael lycklama, idahostatesman, "They started their careers in Boise. Now three former Hawks are first-time MLB All-Stars.," 9 July 2018
By contrast, many of those on lower rungs of the economic ladder are struggling.

— paul davidson, USA TODAY, "Financial stress is rising for low- and middle-income U.S. households," 18 Apr. 2018
Impose an admission price, or introduce a hefty fast-track price, and the first people that are excluded are the lowest rungs of the socioeconomic ladder.

— cnt editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why Major Attractions Should Impose Tourist Limits," 6 Apr. 2018
Granik steps down the social ladder another rung with her third feature, Leave No Trace, the tale of a widowed, traumatized war veteran and his 13-year-old daughter living in a heavily forested public park near Portland, Oregon.

— j.r. jones, Chicago Reader, "Leave No Trace approaches homelessness on the most intimate terms," 11 July 2018
In the book, Alissa Quart illustrates how life in a once-secure stratum has come to resemble the endlessly anxious existence of those in the rungs below.

— ginia bellafante, New York Times, "Lesson of the Blue Wave Primaries? We’re All Struggling Now," 28 June 2018
Within the hierarchy of Google and Facebook, the people who sell ads are several rungs down from the engineer.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Jessica Pressler talks ‘lady grifters’ + Ken Auletta on the ‘frenemies’ of the ad business on Recode Media," 24 June 2018
But wait, there's more: In December of 2015, the pair rung in the New Year together yet again.

— stacey leasca, Glamour, "A Complete Timeline of Hailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber's Relationship," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rung.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rung

Middle English, from Old English hrung crossbar; akin to Goth hrunga staff and perhaps to Old English hring ring — more at ring

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1b

See Words from the same year

rung Synonyms

Synonyms

degree, echelon, footing, level, place, position, rank, ranking, reach(es), situation, standing, station, status, stratum;

Related Words

condition, estate, order, walk;

capacity, function;

rating;

Other Vehicles Terms

brougham, hansom, litter, shay, skid, sledge, sulky, wain

RUNG Defined for English Language Learners

rung

noun

Definition of rung for English Language Learners

: a piece of wood or metal that is placed between the legs of a chair for support
: one of the pieces of wood or metal that is used as a step on a ladder
: a position or level within a group, organization, etc., that is higher or lower than others