verb phrase🎓 English idiom

ring a bell

to sound vaguely familiar

What it means

To sound vaguely familiar, as if you have heard it before but cannot fully remember. It is usually used about names, facts, or places that trigger a faint memory.

Examples

  • That name rings a bell, but I can't remember where I met him.
  • Does the title of this book ring a bell with anyone here?
  • The street rang a bell, and then I realised my old school was nearby.
  • Her face rings a bell, though I'm sure we've never been introduced.

Where it comes from

The expression likely draws on the way a ringing bell calls something to attention or to mind; it became common in English during the early 20th century.

Related idioms

#off the top of my head#wrap your head around#all ears#a rule of thumb

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