ring off the hook

verb

Of a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.

“I placed the advertisement yesterday, and the phone has been ringing off the hook ever since.”

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Meanings

verbring off the hook (third-person singular simple present rings off the hook, present participle ringing off the hook, simple past rang off the hook, past participle rung off the hook)

present singular third person rings off the hook · participle present ringing off the hook · past rang off the hook · participle past rung off the hook

  1. idiomaticOf a telephone, to ring constantly or excessively.

    I placed the advertisement yesterday, and the phone has been ringing off the hook ever since.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 響個不停 /响个不停
  • 響個不停 /响个不停 (xiǎng gè bùtíng)ring constantly
Finnish soida jatkuvasti
  • soida jatkuvastiring constantly
French ne pas arrêter de sonner
  • ne pas arrêter de sonnerring constantly
German Sturm klingeln, Sturm läuten
  • Sturm klingelnring constantly
  • Sturm läutenring constantly
Portuguese tocar sem parar
  • tocar sem pararring constantly
Cite this entry
APA

ring off the hook. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ring%20off%20the%20hook

MLA

“ring off the hook.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ring%20off%20the%20hook. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ring off the hook,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ring%20off%20the%20hook.

Source: ring off the hook on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.