wring

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out.
2. (transitive) Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out.
3. (also, figuratively, transitive) Often followed by from or out: to extract (a liquid) from something wet by squeezing, twisting, or otherwise putting pressure on it.
4. (also, figuratively, transitive) To hold (someone or something) tightly and press or twist; to wrest.
5. (also, figuratively, transitive) To hold (someone or something) tightly and press or twist; to wrest.
6. (transitive) To bend or strain (something) out of its position; to wrench, to wrest.
7. (transitive) To contort or screw up (the face or its features).
8. (transitive) To twist or wind (something) into coils; to coil.
9. (transitive) Of a thing (such as footwear): to pinch or press (a person or part of their body), causing pain.
10. (British, also, archaic, dialectal, figuratively, transitive) To cause (someone or something) physical harm, injury, or pain; specifically, by applying pressure or by twisting; to harm, to hurt, to injure.
11. (figuratively, transitive) To cause (tears) to come out from a person or their eyes.
12. (figuratively, transitive) To cause distress or pain to (a person or their heart, soul, etc.); to distress, to torment.
13. (figuratively, transitive) To obtain (something) from or out of a person or thing by extortion or other force.
14. (figuratively, transitive) To use effort to draw (a response, words, etc.) from or out of someone; to generate (something) as a response.
15. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To afflict or oppress (someone) to enforce compliance; to extort.
16. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To cause (someone) to do something or to think a certain way.
17. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To change (something) into another thing.
18. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To give (teachings, words, etc.) an incorrect meaning; to twist, to wrest.
19. (figuratively, obsolete, reflexive, transitive) To put (oneself) in a position by cunning or subtle means; to insinuate.
20. (transitive) To slide (two ultraflat surfaces) together such that their faces bond.
21. (intransitive) To be engaged in clasping and twisting (especially the hands), or exerting pressure.
22. (intransitive) To twist the body in or as if in pain; to writhe.
23. (figuratively, intransitive) To contend, to struggle; also, to strive, to toil.
24. (figuratively, intransitive) To experience distress, pain, punishment, etc.
25. (intransitive) Of a lode: to be depleted of ore; to peter or peter out.
26. (intransitive, obsolete) To make a way out with difficulty.

Noun

1. (also, figuratively) A powerful squeezing or twisting action.
2. (dated) Followed by down: the product of wringing, such as cider or wine.
3. (obsolete) A sharp physical pain, especially in the abdomen; also, mental pain or distress.

Noun

A device for compressing or pressing, especially for making cheese, cider from apples, or wine from grapes.

Synonyms

twist

squeeze

wrench

🔧

contort

wrest

turn

extort

distort

wring out

press

squeeze out

gouge

unscrew

wriggle

mangle

sprain

press out

extract

twirl

clean

draw

wrick

spin-dry

warp

deform

wind

pinch

torsion

screw

prise

rack

scour

twine

express

exact

crease

elicit

drip

contortion

choke

drain

distract

pluck

coerce

cart

bend

milk

🥛

distord

plume

leach

Translations

tordre

essorer

exprimir

wringen

auswringen

escurrir

wringen

presser

retorcer

ausdrücken

afpersen

afdwingen

torcer

spremere

uitwringen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹɪŋ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: wringen

Inherited from Old English: wringan

Cognate with Ancient Greek: ῥίμφα

Cognate with Dutch: wringen

Cognate with Lithuanian: reñgtis

Cognate with Middle Low German: wringen

Cognate with Low German: wringen

Cognate with Old Frisian: *wringa

Cognate with Western Frisian: wringe

Cognate with Old High German: rinkan

Cognate with Middle High German: ringen

Cognate with German: wringen

Cognate with German: ringen

Inherited from Middle English: wring

Inherited from Old English: wringe

In summary

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”))