ring true

verb

To seem to be correct, or plausible

“His excuse about his daughter being ill again rings true, to me.”

Opposite
ring falsering hollow
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Meanings

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

present singular third person rings true · participle present ringing true · past rang true · participle past rung true

  1. idiomaticTo seem to be correct, or plausible

    His excuse about his daughter being ill again rings true, to me.

    1 more example

    T.R. Witomski's trashing of gay literature would have rung a bit truer if he had a little less to do with the condition of gay literature as we now know it.

    1987 February 22, Lars Eighner, “Gay Writers Are Attempting Quality Work”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 31, page 4

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
ring falsering hollow

Origin

From the sound of a coin when tested for authenticity.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 聽起來真實 /听起来真实, 聽起來是真的 /听起来是真的
  • 聽起來真實 /听起来真实 (tīngqǐlai zhēnshí)to seem to be correct
  • 聽起來是真的 /听起来是真的 (tīngqǐlai shì zhēn de)to seem to be correct
Finnish kuulostaa uskottavalta
  • kuulostaa uskottavaltato seem to be correct
German echt klingen, glaubhaft klingen
  • echt klingento seem to be correct
  • glaubhaft klingento seem to be correct
  • überzeugend klingento seem to be correct
Polish brzmieć wiarygodnie
  • brzmieć wiarygodnieto seem to be correct
Portuguese parece plausível, ser plausível
  • parece plausívelto seem to be correct
  • ser plausívelto seem to be correct
Cite this entry
APA

ring true. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ring%20true

MLA

“ring true.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ring%20true. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ring true,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ring%20true.

Source: ring true on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.