Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense wrings, present participle wringing, past tense, past participle wrung
1. verb
If you wring something out of someone, you manage to make them give it to you even though they do not want to.
Buyers use different ruses to wring free credit out of their suppliers. [V n + out of/from]
In this way, he hoped to put pressure on the British and thus to wring concessionsfrom them. [V n out of/from n]
Synonyms: twist, force, squeeze, extract More Synonyms of wring
2.
See wring one's hands
3.
See wring sb's neck
Phrasal verbs:
See wring out
wring in British English
(rɪŋ)
verbWord forms: wrings, wringing or wrung
1. (often foll by out)
to twist and compress to squeeze (a liquid) from (cloth, etc)
2. (transitive)
to twist forcibly
wring its neck
3. (transitive)
to clasp and twist (one's hands), esp in anguish
4. (transitive)
to distress
wring one's heart
5. (transitive)
to grip (someone's hand) vigorously in greeting
6. (transitive)
to obtain by or as if by forceful means
wring information out of
7. (intransitive)
to writhe with or as if with pain
8. wringing wet
noun
9.
an act or the process of wringing
Word origin
Old English wringan; related to Old High German ringan (German wringen), Gothic wrungō snare. See wrangle, wrong
wring in American English
(rɪŋ)
verb transitiveWord forms: wrung or Rarewringed, ˈwringing
1.
a.
to squeeze, press, twist, or compress, esp. so as to force out water or other liquid
b.
to force out (water or other liquid) by this means, as from wet clothes
usually with out
2.
to clasp and twist (the hands) together as an expression of distress
3.
to clasp (another's hand) forcefully in greeting
4.
to wrench or twist forcibly
5.
to get or extract by force, threats, persistence, etc.; extort
6.
to afflict with anguish, distress, pity, etc.
a story to wring one's heart
verb intransitive
7.
to writhe, squirm, or twist with force or great effort
noun
8.
the action of wringing or twisting
Word origin
ME wringen < OE wringan, to press, compress, strain, akin to Ger ringen, to struggle, wrestle < IE *wreng- < base *wer-, to turn, bend > worm
More idioms containing
wring
someone could wring someone's neck
Examples of 'wring' in a sentence
wring
This is a writer who could wring laughs out of pretty well anything.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
You wring its neck and you get a very quick snap action.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We are told that the best way of doing this is to wring its neck.
The Sun (2014)
The charity added that birds that no longer performed had their necks wrung.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We will find ourselves in an emotional storm that will wring our hearts.
Christianity Today (2000)
Your sofa may still need to be wrung dry.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Place in a clean tea towel and wring dry.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Together we all cried as if by doing so we might wring out the cloth of our suffering.
Carlos Acosta No Way Home: A Cuban Dancer's Tale (2007)
He probably feels like wringing critics' necks though.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It's all but impossible to look at this painting without feeling your heart wring.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Squeeze handfuls of courgette to get rid of excess liquid, pile into a tea towel and wring dry.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I would probably wring his neck.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
I wanted to wring his neck.
The Sun (2012)
And as a result, if you try to wring its neck, its head will come off.
The Sun (2014)
I'll wring their skinny necks!
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss THE WOLF AND THE DOVE
It seems ready to have some divine hand wring its contents over me - which may thwart an alternative plan to head 13 miles southwest.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In other languages
wring
British English: wring VERB
If you wring something out of someone, you manage to make them give it to you even though they do not want to.
Buyers use different ruses to wring free credit out of their suppliers.
American English: wring
Brazilian Portuguese: torcer
Chinese: 设法获取
European Spanish: conseguir
French: obtenir
German: abringen
Italian: estorcere
Japanese: 無理に取る
Korean: ~로부터 ...을 우려내다
European Portuguese: torcer
Latin American Spanish: conseguir
All related terms of 'wring'
wring out
When you wring out a wet cloth or a wet piece of clothing , you squeeze the water out of it by twisting it strongly.
wring together
to join (two smooth flat surfaces, esp slip gauges ) by hand pressure and a slight twisting movement
wring one's hands
If someone wrings their hands , they hold them together and twist and turn them, usually because they are very worried or upset about something. You can also say that someone is wringing their hands when they are expressing sorrow that a situation is so bad but are saying that they are unable to change it.
wring sb's neck
If you say that you will wring someone's neck or that you would like to wring their neck , you mean that you are very angry or irritated with them.
someone could wring someone's neck
said to mean that a person is very angry with someone else
Chinese translation of 'wring'
wring
(rɪŋ)
Word forms:ptppwrung
vt
[neck]扭 (niǔ)
to wring one's hands (lit) 扭绞(絞)双(雙)手 (niǔjiǎo shuāngshǒu) (fig) 无(無)能为(為)力 (wú néng wéi lì)
to wring sth out of sb千方百计(計)从(從)某人处(處)索取某物 (qiān fāng bǎi jì cóng mǒurén chù suǒqǔ mǒuwù)
(verb)
Definition
to obtain by forceful means
He hoped to put pressure on the British and wring concessions from them.
Synonyms
twist
She sat there twisting her handkerchief for a while.
force
interrogation techniques which force a confession out of a suspect
squeeze
Joe squeezed some juice from the oranges.
extract
He tried to extract further information from the witness.
screw
rich nations screwing money out of poor nations
wrench
They wrenched open the passenger door and got into the car.
coerce
He argued that the government had coerced him into resigning.
wrest
She wrested the suitcase from the chauffeur's grasp.
extort
The kidnappers extorted a huge ransom for his release.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of coerce
Definition
to compel or force
He argued that the government had coerced him into resigning.
Synonyms
force,
compel,
bully,
intimidate,
railroad (informal),
constrain,
bulldoze (informal),
dragoon,
pressurize,
browbeat,
press-gang,
twist (someone's) arm (informal),
drive
in the sense of extort
Definition
to obtain money or favours by intimidation, violence, or the misuse of authority
The kidnappers extorted a huge ransom for his release.
Synonyms
extract,
force,
squeeze,
exact,
bully,
bleed (informal),
blackmail,
wring,
coerce,
wrest
in the sense of extract
Definition
to obtain (money, information, etc.) from someone who is not willing to provide it
He tried to extract further information from the witness.
Synonyms
elicit,
get,
obtain,
force,
draw,
gather,
derive,
exact,
bring out,
evoke,
reap,
wring,
glean,
coerce,
wrest
Nearby words of
wring
wretched
wriggle
wriggle out of something
wring
wrinkle
wrinkled
wrist
Synonyms of 'wring'
wring
Explore 'wring' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of force
Definition
to acquire or produce through effort, superior strength, etc.
interrogation techniques which force a confession out of a suspect
Synonyms
extort,
drag,
exact,
wring
in the sense of screw
Definition
to force out of
rich nations screwing money out of poor nations
Synonyms
squeeze,
extort,
wring,
extract,
wrest,
bleed someone of something
in the sense of squeeze
Definition
to crush or press (something) so as to extract (a liquid)
Joe squeezed some juice from the oranges.
Synonyms
extract,
force,
press,
express
in the sense of wrench
Definition
to twist or pull (something) violently, for example to remove it from something to which it is attached
They wrenched open the passenger door and got into the car.
Synonyms
twist,
force,
pull,
tear,
rip,
tug,
jerk,
yank,
wring,
wrest
in the sense of wrest
Definition
to take (something) away from someone with a violent pull or twist
She wrested the suitcase from the chauffeur's grasp.