ringing

adjective

ring·​ing ˈriŋ-iŋ How to pronounce ringing (audio)
Synonyms of ringingnext
1
: clear and full in tone : resounding
a ringing baritone
2
: vigorously unequivocal : decisive
a ringing condemnation of immorality
ringingly
ˈriŋ-iŋ-lē How to pronounce ringing (audio)
adverb

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of ringing in a Sentence

Do you hear that ringing sound? an angry, ringing denial of the charges
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.
But with a will Strike all your harps and set them ringing; On hill and heath Let every breath Throw all its power into singing! — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2024 His ringing, carefree laugh mixed with soaring rhetoric about democracy, working families and hope. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ringing was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing ringing

Rhymes for ringing

See All Rhymes for ringing

Browse Nearby Words

ringing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ringing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on ringing

Nglish: Translation of ringing for Spanish Speakers

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
girl-pencil-test
Challenging Standardized Test Words Quiz Vol. 3 You’re on your own for the math section.
See All