rung

1 of 2

past participle of ring

rung

2 of 2

noun

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 scaleH. W. Van Loon

Examples of rung in a Sentence

Noun He was on the bottom rung on the corporate ladder. the top rung of society the lowest rung of the pay scale
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Meteora, their sophomore project, peaked in the runner-up rung, but long after it was first released. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 Her exit from Congress after nearly three decades will have ripple effects, the most notable being younger generations, at least by Senate standards, starting to climb Democrats’ aging leadership rungs. Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Nov. 2024 But in a draft this strong, he could still get knocked down the board a few rungs if his weaknesses are seen as too much of a drag on his game. John Hollinger, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024 Michele opts to take a beat and organize all her rungs by size, while Olivia doesn’t want to waste any time and relies on trial and error. Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rung 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of rung was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rung

Cite this Entry

“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rung. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

rung

1 of 2

past participle of ring entry 3

rung

2 of 2 noun
: a rounded part placed as a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
also : one of the crosspieces of a ladder

Medical Definition

rung

past part of ring

More from Merriam-Webster on rung

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!