hang glider

noun

variants or less commonly hang-glider

ˈhaŋ-ˌglī-dər 

plural hang gliders also hang-gliders

1

: a kitelike glider from which a harnessed rider hangs while soaring down from a cliff or hill

We spot several hang gliders and a hot air balloon seemingly suspended in the clouds above the castle turrets.

—Catherine George

2

: a person who soars through the air using a hang glider

Hang gliders and paragliders say they're working with the state to find a way to safely take flight off of Mount Greylock's eastern summit on weekends.

—Jane Kaufman

… hang gliders who come to launch themselves off the rolling green hills directly behind the beach.

—Rashmi Hemrajani

Illustration of hang glider

Examples of hang glider in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the 2018 event, a hang glider pilot died in an accident. — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 19 May 2026

This year’s Gunfighter Skies event was the first at the base since 2018, when a hang glider pilot died in a crash during an air show. — Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026

The last time the base hosted an air show in 2018, hang glider pilot Dan Buchanan died following a crash. — Tom Dreisbach, NPR, 17 May 2026

In 2018, a hang glider pilot died in an accident during the event, according to the Idaho Statesman. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 17 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hang glider

• collider
• confider
• divider
• insider
• outsider
• provider
• cider
• cyder
• eider
• hider
• rider
• schneider

Kids Definition

hang glider

noun

: a glider which resembles a kite and from which a rider hangs while gliding down from a cliff or hill

hang glide verb

hang gliding noun