rung

1 of 2
Synonyms of rungnext

past participle of ring

rung

2 of 2

noun

ˈrəŋ How to pronounce rung (audio)
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

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Noun

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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
The superstar has now landed a dozen projects on the roster, and only two have peaked in lower rungs. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 The Sezioni Unite — the highest rung of the Cassazione — accepted her arguments and overturned previous rulings, including one by a lower tier of the Cassazione which had upheld the minor issue as recently as 2024. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 The youngest Zoomers are entering high school (and thus making their first independent purchases), and the eldest are rounding out their 20s (and thus reaching for the next rungs on the career ladder). — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026 Doval has clearly fallen to the bottom rung of the Yankees’ bullpen ladder — and understandably so. — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 20 July 2026 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

Phrases Containing rung

Rhymes for rung

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Browse Nearby Words

run for one's money
rung
rungless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rung.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rung. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

rung

1 of 2

past participle of ring entry 3

rung

2 of 2 noun
ˈrəŋ How to pronounce rung (audio)
: 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

Nglish: Translation of rung for Spanish Speakers

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