hang around

verb

hung around; hanging around; hangs around
1
intransitive, informal
a
: to pass time idly or in relaxing or socializing
spent the day just hanging around with her friends
b
: to stay in or at a place for a period of time
had to hang around for over an hour, waiting for the bus
She didn't feel like hanging around at the club afterward …David Calder
2
transitive informal : to pass time or stay in or at (a place) or in the company of (someone)
hung around the house all day
My mother doesn't want me hanging around the park alone.Judy Blume
When he was 10 years old, Lester taught him-self to windsurf by hanging around the Europeans and Canadian tourists who rented boards on the beach at Varadero.Sam Moses

Examples of hang around in a Sentence

if you hang around until my husband gets home, you can meet him
Recent Examples on the Web As winter comes to a close, the sun is starting to hang around in the sky for a bit longer with each passing day. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 The predatory nature of these killer whales has ocean enthusiasts like Roop torn – sad to see the dolphins slaughtered but glad the orcas are hanging around for up-close, intimate encounters. Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Jupiter will hang around the evening skies until mid-April but will have a visitor on Feb. 14. Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 6 Feb. 2024 And after hanging around all game, the Wildcats did just enough to come out on top in an ugly overtime iteration of the Sunflower Showdown. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2024 Since last week, markets have been hamstrung by the fear that inflation is going to hang around. Michael Foster, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 And he’s just got this Irma albatross hanging around his neck. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2024 Even if your weekend plans don’t involve much more than hanging around the house, let this one take you away. Katie Bain, Billboard, 16 Feb. 2024 If inflation continues to hang around 3 percent, expect increasing pressure from some quarters to redefine the inflation target. The Editors, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hang around.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of hang around was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near hang around

Cite this Entry

“Hang around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang%20around. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hang around

verb
: to pass time or stay idly in or at
hung around the house all day
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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