hang

verb

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\ ˈhaŋ

hung\ ˈhəŋ

\ also hanged\ ˈhaŋd

\; hanging\ ˈhaŋ-iŋ

Definition of hang

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to fasten to some elevated point without support from below : suspend hang a picture on the wall

b : to suspend by the neck until dead —often hanged in the past —often used as a mild oathI'll be hanged

c : to fasten so as to allow free motion within given limits upon a point of suspension hang a door

d : to adjust the hem of (a skirt) so as to hang evenly and at a proper height

2 : to furnish with hanging decorations (such as flags or bunting) Hang the windows with velvet curtains. a room hung with streamers

3 : to hold or bear in a suspended or inclined manner hung his head in shame

4 : to apply to a wall hang wallpaper

5 : to display (pictures) in a gallery

6 baseball : to throw (a pitch, such as a curveball) so that it fails to break properly

7 : to make (a turn) especially while driving hang a right hung a quick U-turn— Tom Clancy

8 : base, found something to hang our hopes on

intransitive verb

1a : to remain suspended or fastened to some point above without support from below : dangle

b : to die by being suspended by the neck —often hanged in the pastHe hanged for his crimes.

c : to be connected as something relevant or related thereby hangs a tale— William Shakespeare

2 : to hover or remain stationary in the air clouds hanging low overhead

3 : linger, persist The thought hung in her mind for days.

4 : to be imminent : impend doom hung over the nation

5 : to fall or droop from a usually tense or taut position let the reins hang loose on the horse's back Their mouths hung open in disbelief.

6 : depend election hangs on one vote

7a(1) : to take hold for support : cling she hung on his arm

(2) : to keep persistent contact dogs hung to the trail

(3) : to maintain or continue holding a position hang behind

(4) : to stay even : keep up —usually used with withtrying to hang with the leader

b : to be burdensome or oppressive time hangs on his hands

8 : to be uncertain or in suspense the decision is still hanging

9 : to lean, incline, or jut over or downward a rocky cliff that hangs overhead

10 : to be in a state of rapt attention hung on her every word

11 : to fit or fall from the figure in easy lines the coat hangs loosely

12 informal : to pass time idly or in relaxing or socializing : hang around, hang out hanging with friends hanging at the beach Off the track, Jones was all but invisible in Sydney. She prefers hanging with her husband … and a small inner circle of friends.— Mark Starr I had the chance to hang with Taibbi recently after he spoke to a Denver audience about his new book …— David Sirota

13 of a thrown ball : to fail to break or drop as intended

hang fire

1 : to be slow in the explosion of a charge after its primer has been discharged

2 : delay, hesitate

3 : to remain unsettled or unresolved The plans had to hang fire until the city council approved them.

hang it up

: to cease an activity or effort We all agreed it was time to hang it up.

hang loose

: to remain calm or relaxed

hang one on

1 : to inflict a blow on wanted to hang one on him

2 slang : to get very drunk

hang out to dry

: to leave stranded in a hopeless or dangerous situation The company hung us out to dry.

hang one's hat

1 : to situate oneself in a place (such as a residence or place of employment) looking for a new place to hang my hat

2 hang one's hat on : to have or use (something) as a source of support need a career to hang my hat on

hang ten

: to ride a surfboard with the toes of both feet turned over the front edge

hang tough

: to remain resolute in the face of adversity : hang in

hang

noun

Definition of hang (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the manner in which a thing is poised when suspended from above without support from below : the way in which a thing hangs (see hang entry 1) the hang of a skirt

2 : declivity, slope also : droop the hang of his lower lip

3 : facility with or an understanding of something can't get the hang of this

4 : a hesitation or slackening in motion or in a course a marked hang of the oar in the air before it dipped

give a hang or care a hang

: to be the least bit concerned or worried She doesn't give a hang whether she wins or not.

Other Words from hang Synonyms & Antonyms Hanged vs. Hung: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about hang

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Hanged vs. Hung: Usage Guide

Verb

For both transitive and intransitive senses 1b the past and past participle hung, as well as hanged, is standard. Hanged is most appropriate for official executions he was to be hanged, cut down whilst still alive … and his bowels torn out — Louis Allen but hung is also used. gave orders that she should be hung — Peter Quennell Hung is more appropriate for less formal hangings. by morning I'll be hung in effigy — Ronald Reagan

Examples of hang in a Sentence

Verb He hung the painting on the wall. We hung paper lanterns from the trees. My grandmother used to hang the wash on a clothesline. 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. They plan to hang wallpaper in the hallway. He let his arm hang down into the water. They will hang him in the county jailhouse. He was hanged for his crimes. Noun the hang of a skirt anyone foolish enough to ski that hang would end up with a broken neck

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb As the clock hanging over the chamber moved past midnight, senators seemed less inclined to stringently obey the rules. — WSJ, "Trump's Impeachment Trial—Live Analysis," 22 Jan. 2020 Bunting, starched and perfectly ruffled in red-white-and-blue fans, hung everywhere—from air conditioners, from gutters, from statues of dead revolutionaries. — Jeff Sharlet, Harpers Magazine, "February 2020," 20 Jan. 2020 Others dressed like resistance fighters, with fake lightsabers hanging from their belts. — Hugo Martínstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "New Star Wars ride at Disneyland reaches capacity within minutes," 17 Jan. 2020 This was the equivalent of an aging pitcher hanging a slider right over the middle of the plate with a slugger at bat. — Dave Doyle, MMA Junkie, "PETA claps back at 'cowards' Conor McGregor, Donald Cerrone over snakeskin jacket banter," 16 Jan. 2020 The fog hanging over North Texas this week is called advection fog, according to NBC5 meteorologist Samantha Davies. — Dallas News, "Why has Dallas-Fort Worth been so foggy this week?," 15 Jan. 2020 Painters complete one color, pressing the blocks down on the ground paper, then hang the paper to dry before beginning the next color. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "Watch Adelphi Make Hand-Blocked Wallpaper in Its New York Studio," 20 Dec. 2019 The agency could be up and running in a matter of months—with many questions hanging over it. — Giorgia Guglielmi, Science | AAAS, "Can Italy’s new science funding agency overcome a thin budget and worries over political meddling?," 4 Dec. 2019 To the southwest, the setting sun shone through exquisite cloud formations that hung over the slopes of Breckenridge, and Lake Dillon beckoned far below them to the west. — John Meyer, The Know, "Skiing on Thanksgiving weekend? Conditions are great in Summit County," 29 Nov. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But Abrams does eventually get the hang of juggling Rey and Kylo's primary plot with Finn and Poe's parallel journey, and the film's final hour nicely paces its mix of pain, discovery, jokes, hope, and explosive action. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker spoiler-free review: Kylo, Rey save the film," 18 Dec. 2019 The metallics continue into the bathroom, where an antiqued brass mirror hangs above a sink, toilet, and tub painted in a pretty floral. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "Versace Home Designer Sasha Bikoff Creates a Colorful Cottage Dollhouse," 17 Dec. 2019 Homemade spice blends also make great holiday gifts packaged in small glass jars with hang tags. — Claire Perez, sun-sentinel.com, "Claire’s tip of the week: Make your own adobo seasoning," 6 Dec. 2019 Find out who knows where reindeer like to take their lunch break, or if anyone can guess what kind of Christmas ornaments reindeer hang from their tree! — Erin Cavoto, Country Living, "25 Funny Reindeer Jokes That Will Totally Sleigh Your Friends and Family," 2 Dec. 2019 Her hang tags, too, are made using paper sourced from trees in sustainable forests and printed with the care instructions in order to minimize the production of sew-in labels. — Vogue, "Meet The Helmut Lang and Rodarte-Alum Who is Making Conscious Streetwear in Chicago," 30 Nov. 2019 Today, dozens of fishing vessels sit parked in the marina at Neah Bay, where restaurants serve buttery cod and where the skeleton of the whale caught in 1999 hangs from the ceiling of the tribal museum. — John Eligon, New York Times, "A Native Tribe Wants to Resume Whaling. Whale Defenders Are Divided.," 14 Nov. 2019 Having such attractive hang spaces sends another message. — BostonGlobe.com, "That’s the idea behind the “Aka-Mile,” the 1-mile pathway that winds through 19 floors of the new headquarters building the technology company is opening Friday in Kendall Square.," 1 Nov. 2019 No Way Out With all of the hang-wringing about these nuclear bombs, the immediate impulse for many is to get them out. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Could Someone Actually Steal a U.S. Nuke?," 25 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hang.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.