ringer

IPA/ˈrɪŋə(r)/
KK[rˈɪŋɚ]IPA/ˈrɪŋər/

ringer — noun

  • ringersingular
  • ringersplural

1. The part of a telephone or other device that produces a sound to alert you about

1.nounB2
Definition

The part of a telephone or other device that produces a sound to alert you about an incoming call or alarm.

Example

Karim turned off the ringer on his phone before the meeting started.

turn off the ringer

Astrid could not hear the ringer because the TV in the kitchen was too loud.

Common collocations
  • turn off the ringer
  • ringer volume
  • phone ringer
  • silence the ringer
Synonyms
  • buzzer

    a device that makes a buzzing rather than ringing sound; used in alarms and timers

  • alarm

    a broader term for any alerting mechanism, not limited to phones

Usage Note

Refers to the hardware component that makes the sound, not the ringtone melody itself. Common in phrases like 'turn off the ringer' or 'ringer volume'.

Common Mistakes

I changed my ringer to a pop song.
I changed my ringtone to a pop song.
'ringer' is the device; 'ringtone' is the sound file it plays.

2. Someone who operates the ropes to make church bells sound, often as part of a tr

2.nounB2
Definition

Someone who operates the ropes to make church bells sound, often as part of a trained group.

Example

Matthew became a church bell ringer after joining the local tower group.

church bell ringer

Nala practiced for months before she qualified as a ringer at the cathedral.

Common collocations
  • bell ringer
  • church ringer
  • tower ringer
Synonyms
  • bellman

    an older, less common term for someone who rings a bell publicly

  • campanologist

    a formal term for someone who studies or rings church bells

Usage Note

Almost always refers to church bell ringing specifically, not doorbells or handbells. In British English the activity is called 'bell-ringing'.

Common Mistakes

The ringer at the front door was broken.
The doorbell was broken.
'ringer' for a person who rings bells, not the bell itself.

3. Someone or an animal taking part in a contest under a false identity so the team

3.nounC1
Definition

Someone or an animal taking part in a contest under a false identity so the team can win by cheating.

Example

The team used Eitan as a ringer in the final match and got caught.

use [someone] as a ringer

Imran suspected the new boxer was a ringer because his skill seemed far too high.

Common collocations
  • use a ringer
  • ringer in a competition
  • accused of being a ringer
Synonyms
  • impostor

    someone who pretends to be another person; broader meaning than competition context

  • ring-in

    Australian and NZ informal term for a substitute or impostor in a team

Usage Note

Originally from racing slang, where a fast horse was secretly substituted for a slower one. The deception is the key element — without intent to cheat, it is not a ringer.

Common Mistakes

The substitute player was a ringer for the injured star.
The substitute player filled in for the injured star.
'ringer' implies cheating, not a fair substitution.

4. In the game of horseshoes, a throw in which the metal ring lands around the cent

4.nounC2
Definition

In the game of horseshoes, a throw in which the metal ring lands around the central peg to earn points.

Example

Élise threw a perfect ringer that landed right around the metal stake.

Cole scored three ringers in a row and easily won the horseshoe contest.

score a ringer

Common collocations
  • throw a ringer
  • score a ringer
  • perfect ringer

Usage Note

This sense is specific to horseshoes and quoits — games where a metal ring is thrown at a peg. Not used for other target games like darts or archery.

Common Mistakes

He hit the bullseye and called it a ringer.
He hit the bullseye in darts.
'ringer' only applies to ring-shaped projectiles that encircle a stake.

5. A person who looks extremely similar to another person, often almost identical i

5.nounB2
Definition

A person who looks extremely similar to another person, often almost identical in appearance.

Example

Paloma is a dead ringer for the actress who played the queen in that film.

dead ringer for

Yan walked in and everyone said he was a ringer for his older brother.

Common collocations
  • dead ringer for
  • a ringer for someone
  • uncanny ringer
Synonyms
  • look-alike

    neutral term for someone who resembles another; less emphatic than 'ringer'

  • doppelgänger

    suggests an uncanny or mysterious resemblance, often with a supernatural tone

  • spitting image

    informal idiom for an exact likeness, similar intensity to 'dead ringer'

Usage Note

Very often used with 'dead' — 'a dead ringer' — which adds emphasis. Can describe both people and things, though people is far more common.

Common Mistakes

That cake is a ringer for the one my mom makes.' (slightly odd)
That cake looks just like the one my mom makes.
'ringer' for people is natural; for objects it can sound forced.

6. A vehicle whose identity has been changed through fake registration numbers or a

6.nounC2
Definition

A vehicle whose identity has been changed through fake registration numbers or altered markings to hide the fact that it was stolen.

Example

The police seized the van because it was a ringer with a different engine number.

vehicle identified as a ringer

Criminals sold the stolen car as a ringer to an unsuspecting buyer in another city.

Common collocations
  • car is a ringer
  • identify a ringer
  • ringer vehicle
Synonyms
  • cloned car

    a stolen car given the identity of a legally registered vehicle of the same model

  • hot car

    slang for any stolen vehicle without specifying identity change

Usage Note

Slang used mainly in law enforcement and automotive contexts. The deception involves changing the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or registration plates.

Common Mistakes

Someone stole my bike — it is a ringer now.
Someone stole my bike.
'ringer' specifically means the vehicle's identity has been disguised, not simply stolen.
Idioms

be a dead ringer for someone

idiom

To look exactly like another person, so much so that people could mistake one for the other.

The new intern is a dead ringer for the CEO when she was young, according to old photos in the office.

Kofi met a tourist who was a dead ringer for his cousin who lives in Ghana.

be a dead ringer for somebody

idiom

To look exactly like another person.

My cousin is a dead ringer for the actor Tom Hardy.

Have you noticed that the new student is a dead ringer for our teacher?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/5

All four terms describe someone who resembles another person closely, but they differ in intensity and connotation. 'Look-alike' is neutral and factual — it describes resemblance without any emotional weight. 'Ringer' (especially 'dead ringer') is informal and stronger, suggesting a resemblance so close that deception or confusion is possible; it implies the similarity is striking enough to fool people. 'Doppelgänger' carries a supernatural or eerie tone — it suggests an uncanny double that feels almost ghostly. 'Spitting image' is a colourful informal idiom with roughly the same force as 'dead ringer' but a warmer, more affectionate feel. For everyday conversation, 'look-alike' works best for mild resemblance; use 'ringer' or 'spitting image' when the similarity is remarkable. For example: 'My brother is my look-alike but not a dead ringer — we have different noses.'

look-alikeringer ↗doppelgänger ↗spitting image

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Ringer' comes from the verb 'ring', referring to someone who rings a bell. The sports-cheating sense emerged in 19th-century horse racing: a fast horse was secretly 'rung in' (substituted) for a slower one, like a bell being 'rung in' to a performance. The look-alike sense grew from the idea of a substitute so convincing they could pass for someone else. The vehicle-fraud sense follows the same deception logic: a stolen car is given a fake identity, 'rung in' as a legitimate vehicle.