Past Tense Of Wring – Everything You Need To Know

By Benjamin Essek

What Is The Past Tense Of Wring?

The past tense of wring is wrung, wrang, or wringed. Wrung is the most common usage, while wrang is a dialect, and wringed is an obsolete usage. Wring is considered an irregular verb, and its past participle is also wrung or wringed.

The table below will make it clearer:

Base/Infinitive Form (V1) wring
Present Form/3rd Person/Singular Form wrings
Past Form (V2) wrung/wrang/wringed
Past Participle Form (V3) wrung/wringed
Present Participle/Gerund wringing

How To Pronounce Wring, Wrung, And Wrang Properly? 

The pronunciation of the base form wring is /rɪŋ/, of the V2 form wrung (most commonly used) is /rʌŋ/ in both British and American English. 

You should note that the “w” in these words is silent, and they all begin with the letter “r”. Their pronunciation of the word “wring” is the same as the pronunciation of the word “ring” and “rung.”

The table below may give you more details:

Verb Forms Pronunciation 
British English language American English language
wring /rɪŋ/ /rɪŋ/
wrung

wrang

wringed

(V2)

/rʌŋ/

/ræŋ/

/rɪŋd/

/rʌŋ/

/ræŋ/

/rɪŋd/

wrung

wringed

(V3)

/rʌŋ/

/rɪŋd/

/rʌŋ/

/rɪŋd/

wringing /rɪŋɪŋ/ /rɪŋɪŋ/

How to say wring, wrung correctly? Check out the below table:

Wring pronunciation:

Wrung pronunciation:

What Are The Definitions Of The Verb Wring? How To Use Wrung?

The past tense of wring is used to describe actions that were completed or events that were ended. The meanings of the base form, V2, and other forms are the same. You can check them below: 

  • To twist or compress something with force to remove liquid from it, usually by hand. 

Example: She wrung out the wet towel before drying it.

  • If you wring the neck of a bird, you try to kill them.

Example 1: The hunter wrung the neck of the turkey he had just shot.

  • To cause someone great emotional pain or suffering

Example: The betrayal of her friend wrung her heart with pain.

  • To twist in order to strain something to a distorted shape

Example: The intense heat wrung the metal frame of the car.

Exercises

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Created on By Benjamin Essek

Past Tense Of Wring

Choose the correct answer to fill in the blank:

1 / 7

The strong wind had ____ the flagpole until it bent.

2 / 7

He _____ his wet hair after getting out of the shower, so his hair dried very quickly.

3 / 7

The chef _____ the duck's neck before preparing it for the meal.

4 / 7

The news of the accident was ____ her with worry.

5 / 7

Don't ____ the plastic too hard, or it will break. (See past tense of break here)

6 / 7

The break-up _____ her with sadness for weeks.

7 / 7

She ____ the water out of the shirt and hung it up to dry.

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FAQs

What Are The Synonyms And Antonyms Of The Verb Wring?

Common synonyms of wring: squeeze, extort, coerce, exact, wrest, milk, force, bleed, gouge, compel, fleece, skin, pull, yank, pluck, tug, etc. Common antonyms of wring: insert, instill, install, implant, cram, stuff, jam, ram, and wedge.

Note: these synonyms and antonyms have their own nuances and connotations that may make them more or less appropriate in different situations.

For example, while “squeeze” can describe the act of removing liquid from something, like “wring”, it can also refer to compressing something in a tight space or applying pressure in a way that is unrelated to removing liquid. 

What Are The Idioms And Phrasal Verbs Of Wring?

Idioms:

  • Wring somebody’s hand: To shake someone’s hand with a strong, forceful grip.

Example: The interviewer wrung my hand so hard that it hurt during the job interview.

  • Wring your hands: to clasp your hands together tightly and twist or squeeze them, often as a sign of anxiety, worry, or distress. (See past tense of squeeze)

Example: I nervously wrung my hands together while waiting for the exam results.

  • Wring someone’s neck: to show extreme anger or frustration.

Example: She was so angry with her ex-boyfriend for cheating on her that she wanted to wring his neck.

Phrasal Verb:

  • Wring something from/out of somebody: to gain something from someone with difficulty, often through putting pressure on them. 

Example: The salesperson could wring a discount out of the car dealer by negotiating aggressively.

Is Wring A Transitive Or Intransitive Verb?

Wring is a transitive verb, which means that it requires a direct object to complete its meaning. 

The object is the thing that is being twisted, compressed, or squeezed to remove liquid, or the person or thing that is being caused great emotional pain or suffering.

Examples:

  • She wrung out the blanket and put it again in the washing machine.
  • The bad news wrung him emotionally, and he cried for hours.

He had to wring the fence rods to pull the stuck arm out.