Meaning & use
rung
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Meanings
nouncountable
One of the crosspieces on a ladder that you step on, or a similar bar between the legs of a chair.
Grammar: Countable: the top rung, the bottom rung.
Patterns
- the top rung of something
- a rung on the ladder
He tested each rung before putting his weight on it.
The bottom rung of the ladder was cracked.
She rested her foot on the rung of the stool.
nouncountablefigurative
A level or position within a ranking, organization or career, often seen as part of a climb upward.
Grammar: Almost always used with ladder or a similar image: climb to a higher rung.
Patterns
- the bottom rung of something
- a rung on the ladder of something
- move up a rung
He started on the lowest rung of the company.
One more promotion would put her on the top rung of management.
The team moved up a rung in the league table.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Past participle of ring, used when a bell, phone or alarm has sounded.
Grammar: Used after have or be: the bell has rung. The simple past is usually rang.
Patterns
- have rung
- has been rung
The church bell has rung every hour since dawn.
Her phone had rung three times before she noticed it.
Once the final bell was rung, the students filed out.
Word forms
| plural | rungs |
|---|
Common combinations
- bottom rung
- She began on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder.
- top rung
- Few people reach the top rung of the profession.
- rung of a ladder
- The rung of a ladder snapped under his boot.
- next rung
- A good result would take her to the next rung of the competition.
- climb a rung
- Each year he climbed a rung higher in the firm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- step
- Step is the general word for any place to put your foot, while rung is a bar that forms part of a ladder.
- level
- Level is neutral and abstract, whereas rung adds a picture of climbing a ladder.
- tier
- Tier suggests a layer in a stacked structure, while rung suggests one point on a path you climb.
- grade
- Grade is an official classification, while rung describes position in a general hierarchy.
Word family
Commonly confused: rung or rang? rung or wrung?
rung vs rang
Rang is the simple past tense: she rang the bell. Rung is the past participle used after have: she has rung the bell.
rung vs wrung
Wrung is the past of wring, as in wrung out a towel, and sounds the same as rung.
Practice
Which sentence uses the correct form?
Choose one answer.
After have or was, English uses the participle rung. Rang is only the simple past, as in she rang the bell.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rung”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.