hang out

[no obj]
• A photograph of her family hangs on the wall.
• Several of her paintings are hanging in the Museum of Modern Art.
• Your coat is hanging in the closet.
• The curtains hang all the way (down) to the floor.
- see also hang up 2 (below)
b [+ obj] : to decorate (a surface) by hanging something (such as a picture) on it - usually used as (be) hung
• The walls are hung with paintings. [=there are paintings hanging on the walls]
c [+ obj] : to put (wallpaper) on a wall
• They plan to hang wallpaper in the hallway.
2 [no obj] : to be in a lowered position
• He let his arm hang down into the water.
• We hung [=leaned] over the side of the boat and waved.
• Her hair hung loose/limply.
3 past tense and past participle usually hanged
a : to kill (someone) by using a rope that goes around the neck and holds the person's body in the air without any support from below

[+ obj]

• They will hang him in the county jailhouse.
• He was hanged for his crimes.
• He hanged himself.

[no obj]

• He hanged for his crimes.
b old-fashioned
- used to express surprise, anger, etc.
• We need those supplies now, hang the cost! [=we need them no matter how much they cost]
• I'll be hanged if I'll do anything to help him. [=I won't do anything to help him]
4 [no obj] : to float over a place or object for a long time
• Storm clouds were hanging low overhead.
• Smoke hung above the crowd.
• The smell of perfume hung in the air around her.
5 [no obj]
- used to say that a decision has not yet been made
• The decision is still hanging.
- see also hung jury, hung parliament
6 [no obj] US informal : to be or stay somewhere for a period of time without doing much
• We were hanging [=hanging around/out] at Suzee's.
7 [+ obj] chiefly US informal : to make (a turn) especially while driving
• Hang a right at the stoplight.
8 [no obj] baseball of a pitch : to fail to curve in the desired way
• a hanging curveball
a peg to hang something on
- see ¹peg
hang around or Brit hang about/round [phrasal verb] informal
1 hang around/about/round or hang around/about/round (a place) : to be or stay in a place for a period of time without doing much
• We just hung around all afternoon, listening to music.
• They hung around the theater after the play was over.
2 hang around/about/round with (someone) : to spend time relaxing, talking, or doing things with (someone)
• She hangs around with older kids.
• Who does he usually hang around with?
hang back [phrasal verb]
1 : to be or stay behind others
• The little girl followed the older children but hung back a little.
2 : to be unwilling to do something because of nervousness, fear, etc.
• When there's work to be done, she doesn't hang back.
hang by a thread : to be in a very dangerous situation or state : to be very close to death, failure, etc.
• The patient's life was hanging by a thread. [=the patient was very close to dying]
hang fire chiefly Brit : to be delayed
• The project has been hanging fire for several years.
• The decision is hanging fire.
hang in [phrasal verb]
1 chiefly US informal : to keep working or trying in a difficult situation
• She says she'll hang in until she makes the business work.
• She did her best to hang in against some of the more experienced swimmers.
- often used in the phrase hang in there
• Hang in there, kid! Don't quit!
2 hang in the air : to be incomplete or uncertain
• The design of the new currency is still hanging in the air.
hang loose
- see ²loose
hang on [phrasal verb]
1 : to keep happening or continuing
• He had a terrible cold that hung on all spring.
2 : to wait or stop briefly
• “Can we go now?” “Hang on, I'll be ready in just a minute.”
3 hang on or hang on (to) (someone or something) : to hold or grip someone or something tightly
• Hang on or you'll fall!
• Hang on tight!
• The children hung on his arm.
• Hang on to your purse.
• The children hung on to his arm.
4 hang on to (something) : to keep (something)
• You should hang on to those old coins; they could be valuable.
5 a hang on (something) : to be determined or decided by (something) : to depend on (something)
• The decision hangs on one vote.
b hang (something) on (something) : to base (a story, theory, etc.) on (something)
• There weren't enough facts on which to hang a newspaper story.
• You can't hang your case on her testimony.
6 hang on someone's every word : to listen very carefully or closely to (someone)
• The children hung on the teacher's every word.
hang out [phrasal verb]
1 informal : to be or stay somewhere for a period of time without doing much
• The gang hangs out at the corner store.
• Our dog spends all his time hanging out [=hanging around] on the front porch.
- see also hangout
2 hang out with (someone) informal : to spend time relaxing, talking, or doing something with (someone) : to hang around with (someone)
• He spent a couple of days hanging out with his old friends.
3 hang (something) out or hang out (something) : to hang (something wet) outside to dry
• I hung the laundry out on the clothesline.
• I hung out the sheets to dry.
4 hang (someone or something) out to dry informal : to leave (someone or something) in a helpless or unprotected state
• When things got tough, the company hung us out to dry.
hang out your shingle
- see ¹shingle
hang over [phrasal verb] hang over (someone) : to be a threat or danger to (someone) : to cause (someone) to feel worried or guilty
• They are glad that the deadline is no longer hanging over them.
• I can't relax with that test hanging over my head. [=I can't relax until after I take that test]
- see also hangover
hang tight [phrasal verb] US informal : to wait before doing anything
• Investors are being advised to hang tight until the stock market rebounds.
hang together [phrasal verb] informal
1 : to stay with someone
• If we just hang together a while longer, I know that we can work out our problems.
2 : to work in a logical and effective way
• The movie starts out well, but the story doesn't hang together after the first hour.
hang tough chiefly US informal : to keep working or trying to succeed in a difficult situation
• The team hung tough through the whole game, but lost in the end.
hang up [phrasal verb]
1 hang up or hang up (something) or hang (something) up : to end a telephone connection by putting the handset on its base or by turning the telephone off
• “Is he still on the phone?” “No, he hung up.”
• Let me talk to her before you hang up the phone.
- often + on
• I can't believe he hung up on me! [=that he suddenly hung up while I was talking to him on the phone]
2 hang (something) up or hang up (something) : to put (something) on a hook or hanger
• Hang up your coat, please.
- see also ¹hang 1a (above)
3 hang up (something) informal : to stop doing (something) : to finish using (something) for the last time - used figuratively
• She decided to hang up her running shoes [=she decided to quit running] and to start riding her bike instead.
4 hang it up US informal : to stop doing something
• After all this time, you're just going to hang it up? [=quit]
- see also hung up
hang with [phrasal verb] hang with (someone) US informal
1 : to spend time with (someone)
• He's just been hanging with his friends.
2 : to stay close to (someone) : to keep up with (someone)
• He hung with the leaders for the first half of the race, but then he began to fall behind.
hang your hat
- see hat
hang your head : to have your head turned downward because of shame or embarrassment
• He hung his head in shame.
let it all hang out
- see ¹let
thereby hangs a tale
- used to suggest that there is a story about something that has just been mentioned
• I realized where I had seen him before—and thereby hangs a tale.