noun
rung
RUHNG
noun
1
A horizontal bar forming a step on a ladder, or the crossbar between chair legs.
"One of the rungs on the old ladder had rotted through."
"He tightened the loose rung on the wooden chair."
2
A level or position within a hierarchy or ranking.
"She climbed to the top rung of the company within five years."
How to Use Rung
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA step on a ladder, or figuratively, a level in a career or social ladder.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "wrung", the past tense of "wring" — they sound identical but mean completely different things.
Easily confused with
wrung
Common pairings
the bottom rung
climb the rungs
a rung of the ladder
Word Forms
rungs plural, Rungs plural
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One of the _____ on the old ladder had rotted through.
Etymology
From Old English hrung, from Proto-Germanic *hrungō — related to German Runge ("stake, pole").