ringing

ringing — adjective

1. If a sound is ringing, it has a strong, bright, resonant quality similar to the

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

If a sound is ringing, it has a strong, bright, resonant quality similar to the clear tone of a bell — it can be heard easily and often continues for a short moment after the source stops.

Example

A ringing bell woke the whole village before dawn.

ringing + bell (most common collocation)

Imani heard her grandmother's ringing laugh from the far end of the house.

Common collocations
  • ringing bell
  • ringing laugh
  • ringing voice
  • ringing tone
  • ringing sound
Synonyms
  • resonant

    emphasises richness and depth of sound rather than high pitch

  • clear

    less specific — can describe any sound that is easy to hear, not necessarily bell-like

  • sonorous

    more formal and literary; suggests a deep, full sound

Antonyms
  • dull

    a dull sound is muffled and lacks clarity

  • muffled

    a muffled sound is hard to hear because something blocks it

Grammar Patterns

ringing + noun (attributive)

be + ringing (predicative)

Usage Note

Attributive use (before a noun) is far more common than predicative use. Typical collocates include 'bell', 'voice', 'laugh', 'tone', and 'sound'.

Common Mistakes

The ringing alarm was so faint I almost missed it.
The beeping alarm was so faint I almost missed it.
'Ringing' describes a clear, resonant sound, not a soft or faint one; use 'beeping' or 'buzzing' for an alarm that CAN be faint.
His phone made a ringing noise like a car horn.
His phone made a loud noise like a car horn.
'Ringing' specifically refers to a high, clear, bell-like tone, which is different from the sound of a horn.

2. A ringing statement, promise, or vote expresses an opinion with such strength an

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

A ringing statement, promise, or vote expresses an opinion with such strength and directness that the speaker's intention is completely clear and impossible to doubt.

Example

The mayor gave a ringing endorsement of the new hospital plan.

ringing endorsement (most common fixed phrase)

Camila's speech was a ringing call for fairness in public education.

Common collocations
  • ringing endorsement
  • ringing declaration
  • ringing denial
  • ringing rebuke
  • ringing condemnation
  • ringing call
  • ringing vote
  • ringing victory
Synonyms
  • emphatic

    very close in meaning; describes an opinion expressed with strong emphasis

  • resounding

    often used with 'success' or 'victory'; suggests a result that is clearly decisive

  • unequivocal

    more formal; emphasises that something leaves no uncertainty

Antonyms
  • half-hearted

    a half-hearted statement shows little energy or belief

  • vague

    a vague statement lacks the clear, direct quality of a ringing one

Grammar Patterns

ringing + noun (attributive only)

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used attributively before nouns of speech or opinion. The most frequent fixed phrase is 'ringing endorsement'. Other common collocates: 'declaration', 'denial', 'rebuke', 'condemnation'. Cannot be used predicatively (❌ 'His support was ringing').

Common Mistakes

Her ringing answer was difficult to understand.
Her ringing answer left no room for doubt.
'Ringing' in this sense means strong and clear, so it contradicts 'difficult to understand'.
His support for the project was ringing.
He gave a ringing endorsement of the project.
'Ringing' is nearly always used before a noun, not after a linking verb.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All three words describe something expressed with force and clarity, but they differ in how they are typically used. 'Emphatic' focuses on the speaker's strong stress or insistence — you can make an emphatic gesture or give an emphatic nod, not just a spoken statement. 'Resounding' is most common with outcomes: a resounding success, victory, or defeat — it describes the result, not the way the opinion was expressed. 'Unequivocal' is the most formal of the three and emphasises leaving no doubt at all — it often appears in legal or political writing ('an unequivocal denial'). 'Ringing', by contrast, is tied to spoken or public statements of support or opposition. For example: 'The senator gave a ringing endorsement of the bill.' — here 'ringing' suggests a strong, clear statement made publicly. 'The result was a resounding victory for the opposition' — here 'resounding' describes the size and decisiveness of the outcome, not the tone of any statement.

emphaticresoundingunequivocal

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The adjective 'ringing' comes from the verb 'ring' (to make a bell-like sound), which traces back to Old English 'hringan'. The original meaning described the clear, resonant sound of a bell or metal object. By the early 1600s, English writers had begun using 'ringing' figuratively to describe statements or opinions that carry the same unmistakable, decisive quality as the sound of a bell.