ring [1] (rings plural & 3rd person present) (ringing present participle) (rang past tense) (rung past participle ) (TELEPHONING OR MAKING A SOUND)
Please look at category 11 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 verb When you ring someone, you telephone them.
(mainly BRIT)
(=phone)
He rang me at my mother's... V n
I would ring when I got back to the hotel... V
She has rung home just once... V adv
Could someone ring for a taxi? V for n
Ring up means the same as ring., phrasal verb
You can ring us up anytime... V n P
John rang up and invited himself over for dinner... V P
A few months ago I rang up about some housing problems... V P about n
Nobody rings up a doctor in the middle of the night for no reason. V P n (not pron)
in AM, usually use call
2 verb When a telephone rings, it makes a sound to let you know that someone is phoning you.
As soon as he got home, the phone rang... V
Ring is also a noun., n-count
After at least eight rings, an ancient-sounding maid answered the phone.
ringing n-uncount
She was jolted out of her sleep by the ringing of the telephone.
3 verb When you ring a bell or when a bell rings, it makes a sound.
He heard the school bell ring... V
The door was opened before she could ring the bell. V n
Ring is also a noun., n-count
There was a ring at the bell.
ringing n-uncount
...the ringing of church bells.
4 verb If you ringfor something, you ring a bell to call someone to bring it to you. If you ring for someone, you ring a bell so that they will come to you.
Shall I ring for a fresh pot of tea?... V for n
5 verb If you say that a place is ringingwith sound, usually pleasant sound, you mean that the place is completely filled with that sound.
LITERARY The whole place was ringing with music. V with n
6 n-sing You can use ring to describe a quality that something such as a statement, discussion, or argument seems to have. For example, if an argument has a familiar ring, it seems familiar.
usu a adj N
(=feel)
His proud boast of leading `the party of low taxation' has a hollow ring.
7 If you say that someone rings the changes, you mean that they make changes or improvements to the way something is organized or done.
ring the changes phrase V inflects
Ring the changes by adding spices, dried fruit or olives.
8 If you say that someone's words ring in your ears or ring in your head, you mean that you remember them very clearly, usually when you would prefer to forget them.
LITERARY
ring in one's ears/ring in one's head phrase V and N inflect
She shivered as the sound of that man's abuse rang in her ears.
9 If you give someone a ring, you phone them.
(mainly BRIT)
INFORMAL
give sb a ring phrase V inflects
We'll give him a ring as soon as we get back.
in AM, usually use call
10 If a statement rings true, it seems to be true or genuine. If it rings hollow, it does not seem to be true or genuine.
ring true/ring hollow phrase V inflects
Joanna's denial rang true..., The rumpus has made all the optimistic statements about unity and harmony ring a little hollow.
11
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ringing
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to ring a bell
→
bell ring around
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ring round ring back phrasal verb If you ring someone back, you phone them either because they phoned you earlier and you were not there or because you did not finish an earlier telephone conversation.
(mainly BRIT) no passive
Tell her I'll ring back in a few minutes... V P
If there's any problem I'll ring you back. V n P
in AM, usually use call back ring in phrasal verb If you ring in, you phone a place, such as the place where you work.
(mainly BRIT)
Cecil wasn't there, having rung in to say he was taking the day off. V P
in AM, usually use call in ring off phrasal verb When you ring off, you put down the receiver at the end of a telephone call.
(mainly BRIT)
She had rung off before he could press her for an answer. V P
in AM, usually use hang up ring out phrasal verb If a sound rings out, it can be heard loudly and clearly.
A single shot rang out. V P ring round , ring around phrasal verb If you ring round or ring around, you phone several people, usually when you are trying to organize something or to find some information.
(mainly BRIT)
She'd ring around and get back to me... V P
She immediately started ringing round her friends and relatives. V P n (not pron)
in AM, usually use call around ring up
2 phrasal verb If a shop assistant rings up a sale on a cash register, he or she presses the keys in order to record the amount that is being spent.
She was ringing up her sale on an ancient cash register. V P n (not pron), Also V n P
3 phrasal verb If a company rings up an amount of money, usually a large amount of money, it makes that amount of money in sales or profits.
The advertising agency rang up 1.4 billion dollars in yearly sales. V P n (not pron)
