Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

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wring, wrings, wringing, wrung

Synonyms: twist, squeeze, press, extort, extract

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Antonyms: soak, saturate, loosen, release, straighten

The Verb Wring – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb wring is an irregular verb meaning to squeeze and twist something forcefully, especially to remove liquid from it.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: wring
■ Past Simple: wrung
■ Past Participle: wrung
■ Present Participle/Gerund: wringing


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Wring' is used for a specific twisting motion and in common figurative phrases.


1. Squeezing Liquid from Fabric
This is its primary, literal meaning.


■ Action: 'Please wring out the wet cloth before you use it.'


2. Obtaining Something with Difficulty (Figurative)
This means to extract something (like a confession or information) from someone who is reluctant to give it.


■ Extraction: 'The detective managed to wring a confession out of the suspect.'


3. 'Wring one's hands'
This is a very common idiom describing the action of clasping and twisting one's hands together as a sign of great anxiety or distress.


■ Worry: 'He was wringing his hands with worry as he waited for the news.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: 'WRING' VS. 'RING'


■ Homophones: This is a crucial point of confusion. Wring (with a silent 'w') and ring are pronounced exactly the same but have completely different meanings.
■ Wring: To twist and squeeze. ('You wring a towel.')
■ Ring: To make a sound like a bell. ('You ring a bell.')