dangle

¹dan·gle

verb \ˈdaŋ-gəl\

dan·gleddan·gling \-g(ə-)liŋ\

Definition of DANGLE

intransitive verb

1

: to hang loosely and usually so as to be able to swing freely

2

: to be a hanger-on or a dependent

3

: to occur in a sentence without having a normally expected syntactic relation to the rest of the sentence (as climbing in “Climbing the mountain the cabin came into view”) <a dangling participle> <a dangling modifier>

transitive verb

1

: to cause to dangle : swing <dangled her feet in the water>

2

a : to keep hanging uncertainly

b : to hold out as an inducement

— dan·gler \-g(ə-)lər\ noun

Examples of DANGLE

1. Let your arms dangle at your sides.
2. She sat on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water.
3. He dangled a piece of string in front of the cat.
4. The money she dangled in front of him wasn't enough to convince him to sell.
5. They refused to accept the money that was dangled before their eyes.

Origin of DANGLE

probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Dan dangle to dangle

First Known Use: 1565

Related to DANGLE

Synonyms

hang, sling, suspend, swing

Related Words

hook, mount, pin, tack; drape, festoon, garland, string; extend (out), jut, project, stick out; overhang, protrude; cascade, depend, fall; balance, poise

Rhymes with DANGLE

angle, bangle, jangle, mangel, mangle, spangle, strangle, tangle, wangle, wrangle

²dangle

noun

Definition of DANGLE

1

: the action of dangling

2

: something that dangles

First Known Use of DANGLE

1756