rung

1 of 2

past participle of ring

rung

2 of 2

noun

ˈrəŋ 

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

Synonyms of rung

Noun

• level
• position
• rank
• echelon
• ranking
• place
• standing

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

Noun

On the Hot Latin Songs ranking, that same cut missed the top 10 by only one rung. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Yet experts warn that Southeast Asia’s competitive edge—its abundance of cheap, low-skilled labor—could trap it at the bottom rungs of the AI tech ladder. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

After tearing through the third rung of professional women’s tennis in 2024, the FFT awarded Boisson a wild card for that year’s French Open. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

The higher Khalil got on the rungs of congressional seniority, the more circumspect the lawmakers sounded. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

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

Phrases Containing rung

• get one's bell rung
• have one's bell rung

Rhymes for rung

• bling
• bung
• clung
• dung
• flung
• fung
• hung
• lung
• slung
• sprung
• strung
• stung

Kids Definition

rung

1 of 2

past participle of ring entry 3

rung

2 of 2 noun

ˈrəŋ 

: 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