rung

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

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

And though Alabama's students are not dead last in the ranking of the states, student test results are still in the bottom rung among all states, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense schools.

— trisha powell crain, AL.com, "Alabama's national test scores still low, but not last," 10 Apr. 2018
In a sport geared toward the rich, Del is a schemer working to hang on to the absolute bottom rung of the ladder.

— todd vanderwerff, Vox, "2 of the world’s best directors have new movies out this weekend. See them both.," 7 Apr. 2018
Hand then put Braun in the 0-2 hole and tried to work up the ladder but fell a rung short.

— tom haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "New-look Brewers offense kept the line moving in the ninth until Ryan Braun blasted one," 31 Mar. 2018
Late-season collapses, underwhelming prospect development and failed free-agent pursuits were the rule for more than a decade as the city watched its once-proud franchise sink to the lowest rungs of Major League Baseball purgatory.

— childs walker, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles fans feeling brighter about Opening Day after Alex Cobb signing," 28 Mar. 2018
Catching the ball in an optimal situation empowers lower-rung guys to do more than shoot.

— sean meagher, OregonLive.com, "Links: Tracking the Portland Trail Blazers' turnaround," 27 Mar. 2018
Now, the adjusted pay scale allows new guards to start at the third rung on the pay ladder, earning a salary that would have previously taken nine months to attain.

— keri blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Officers-in-training weigh in on TDCJ raises for starting guards," 2 Mar. 2018
Only Volkswagen can truly match Honda’s C-segment three-rung performance ladder.

— Car and Driver, "How the Sportiest Honda Civics Compare on Price, Performance, and More [Infographic]," 26 Jan. 2018
The bottom two rungs of the K-pop industry’s notorious Big 3 hierarchy underwent a switcheroo on Jan. 17.

— caitlin kelley, Billboard, "JYP Overtaking YG in the Big 3 Shows a K-pop Industry in Flux," 19 Jan. 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