ringer

1 of 2

noun (1)

ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər 

1

: one that sounds especially by ringing

2

a(1)

: one that enters a competition under false representations

(2)

: imposter, fake

b

: one that strongly resembles another

—often used with dead

he's a dead ringer for the senator

ringer

2 of 2

noun (2)

: one that encircles or puts a ring around (such as a quoit or horseshoe that lodges so as to surround the peg)

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• charlatan
• fake
• faker
• fakir
• fraud
• hoaxer
• humbug
• impostor
• imposter
• mountebank
• phony
• phoney
• pretender
• quack
• quacksalver
• sham

Examples of ringer in a Sentence

Noun (1)

no one was more surprised than the defendant when his lawyer turned out to be a ringer

he's a dead ringer for his grandfather

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Trending on Billboard Burnett also roped in some other Nashville ringers for the project, including Billy Strings, Larkin Poe, Lucius and Molly Tuttle. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Oct. 2024

This article contains spoilers from Love Is Blind season 7, episodes 1-11. Breakups suck, but Nick Dorka was really put through the ringer when Hannah Jiles ended their relationship on Love Is Blind. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024

New research published on October 9 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B from a team at Newcastle University suggests that just like us, bees are more likely to make pessimistic choices after being put through the ringer. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2024

Rain, snow, sleet, sun, gravel, grass, cobblestone, cement—it’s been through the ringer. —Samantha Leal, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1834, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ringer

• dead ringer
• ringer tee
• ringer T-shirt

Kids Definition

ringer

1 of 2 noun

ring·​er ˈriŋ-ər 

1

: one that sounds especially by ringing

2

a

: one that enters a competition with a false identity

b

: one that strongly resembles another

—often used with dead

a dead ringer for the senator

ringer

2 of 2 noun

: a quoit or horseshoe that falls right over a peg