English Explanatory Dictionary

wring

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out.
  2. To squeeze water (from an item of wet clothing) by passing through a wringer.
  3. Often followed by from or out: to extract (a liquid) from something wet by squeezing, twisting, or otherwise putting pressure on it.
  4. To hold (someone or something) tightly and press or twist; to wrest.
  5. To clasp and twist (hands) together due to distress, sorrow, etc.
  6. To bend or strain (something) out of its position; to wrench, to wrest.
  7. To contort or screw up (the face or its features).
  8. To twist or wind (something) into coils; to coil.
  9. Of a thing (such as footwear): to pinch or press (a person or part of their body), causing pain.
  10. To cause (someone or something) physical harm, injury, or pain; specifically, by applying pressure or by twisting; to harm, to hurt, to injure.
  11. To cause (tears) to come out from a person or their eyes.
  12. To cause distress or pain to (a person or their heart, soul, etc.); to distress, to torment.
noun
  1. A powerful squeezing or twisting action.
  2. Followed by down: the product of wringing, such as cider or wine.
  3. A sharp physical pain, especially in the abdomen; also, mental pain or distress.
noun
  1. A device for compressing or pressing, especially for making cheese, cider from apples, or wine from grapes.

Pronunciation

rĭng /ɹɪŋ/ en-us-ring.ogg /ˈɹɪŋɡ/

Word forms

wring wrings wringing wrung wrang wringed no-table-tags glossary wringest wringedst wringeth

Etymology

From Middle English wringen, wryngen from Old English wringan (“to wring”), from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze, twist, wring”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wrenǵʰ-. Cognates * Ancient Greek ῥίμφα (rhímpha, “fast”) * Dutch wringen * Lithuanian reñgtis (“to bend down”) * Middle Low German wringen (Low German wringen) * Old Frisian *wringa (West Frisian wringe) * Old High German rinkan, ringan, ringan (Middle High German ringen, modern German wringen, German ringen (“to wrestle”))

Synonyms

wring out astringe compact telescope compactify condense densitize pack press mash scrunch smush squoosh squash squish squeeze thring thrutch strangle throttle wound wrench abuse annoy bewound damage damnify dere do damage to do for do ill do violence to forwork grieve harm harrow hurt injure maul misdo put someone in hospital scaith scathe vulnerate wet rack torture vex ache afflict aggrieve agonize anguish excruciate irritate pang pine throe torment wring

Related words

glean

Derived words

hand wringing wringable wringbolt wringer wringing wet wring out wring-stave cider-wring wring-house

Translations

Armenian: քամել Bashkir: һығыу Bulgarian: изстисквам Bulgarian: изцеждам чрез извиване Bulgarian: стискам Bulgarian: извивам врата Catalan: esprémer Catalan: escórrer Catalan: retòrcer Catalan: retorçar Chinese Mandarin: 絞 /绞 Chinese Mandarin: 擰 /拧 Chinese Mandarin: 扭 Czech: ždímat Danish: vride Dutch: uitwringen Dutch: wringen Egyptian: i-a:f Esperanto: premtordi Esperanto: vringi Finnish: vääntää Finnish: vääntää niskat nurin French: essorer Friulian: stuargi Galician: espremer Galician: retorcer German: wringen German: auswringen Greek: στείβω Greek: στραγγίζω Hebrew: סחט Hungarian: kinyom Hungarian: kicsavar Indonesian: peras Indonesian: remas Italian: spremere Japanese: 絞る Khmer: ច្បាច់ Khmer: ពូត Latvian: griezt Manx: faast Māori: tatau Māori: kōwiri Māori: tāwhiri Mongolian: мушгих Mongolian: ᠮᠤᠰᠭᠢᠬᠤ Norman: teurtre Norwegian Bokmål: vri Norwegian Nynorsk: vri Persian: چلاندن Polish: wyżymać Polish: wyżąć Portuguese: torcer Rarotongan: tatau Romanian: stoarce Russian: выжима́ть Russian: вы́жать Russian: выкру́чивать Russian: вы́крутить Russian: сжима́ть Russian: сжать Samoan: tatau Scottish Gaelic: snìomh Serbo-Croatian: исције́дити Serbo-Croatian: iscijéditi Spanish: exprimir Spanish: retorcer Spanish: escurrir Spanish: estrujar Spanish: lagarear Spanish: despescuezar Spanish: espescuezar Swedish: vrida ur
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