hang·out
ˈhaŋ-ˌau̇t 
: a favorite place for spending time
also
: a place frequented for entertainment or for socializing
hung out; hanging out; hangs out
1
intransitive
: to protrude and droop
a dog with its tongue hanging out
2
intransitive
informal
: to spend time idly or in relaxing or socializing
just hanging out by the pool
My mother told me not to hang out in bars because the sort of people I would meet there were the sort of people who hang out in bars.—
Calvin Trillin
Calvin TrillinTraditionally, most owners [of sports teams] are rich egomaniacs eager to hang out with athletes and get their names in the paper.—George Vecsey
George Vecsey3
transitive
: to display (something) outside as an announcement to the public
hang out a sign/banner
—used chiefly in the phrase hang out a/one's shingle in the figurative sense "to start a business, begin working professionally"
Publishing was not as complicated a business … when young Alfred Knopf hung out his shingle nearly 70 years ago.—John F. Baker
John F. BakerBack then big L.A. law firms rarely hired Jews … . So Sterling hung out a shingle in Boyle Heights and became a tireless advocate for his old neighbors, handling everything from divorces to personal injury cases.—Franz Lidz
Franz LidzSynonyms
Examples of hangout in a Sentence
Noun
The park was their favorite hangout.
a favorite hangout of senior citizens is the local community center
Recent Examples on the WebStayton Bonner, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
Your next new hangout: Crunchy snacks, sake drinks and a buzzing scene at this Virgil Village izakaya.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Ardent Lounge to reopen May 17 with a ‘neighborhood hangout’ feel
The lounge side of Ardent will re-open May 17.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
By the 1960s, in keeping with the peace, love and psychedelic area music of the period, the outdoor 163rd Street Shopping Center mirrored hippy hangout Coconut Grove neighborhoods that were about 20 miles to the south.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
Pair it with a T-shirt and platform sandals for brunch with friends or a park hangout.
—Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The revered restaurant, with roots tracing back more than two centuries, was once a hangout for Buffalo Bill.
—David Enrich, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Being completely isolated, Ocracoke was a popular hangout for pirates, including Blackbeard, who was captured nearby.
—Trudy Haywood Saunders, Travel + Leisure, 26 Mar. 2024
Meetings were often held in the basement of Polly’s, a MacDougal Street hangout established by anarchist Polly Holladay.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
One carousel showed her on a boat with a furry friend, a Polaroid collage of herself with friends and other images of the group hanging out together.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024
Around this time, Kravitz would often ask Eilish to hang out, but Eilish would never follow through.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2024
There won’t be cowboy hats and denim jackets hanging out at Elk Grove Park this year following the cancellation of the city’s annual Western Festival, which had been set for the first weekend of May.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 24 Apr. 2024
Scientists suggested that the big ungulates could no longer safely hang out along river or stream banks and eat everything in sight.
—Jim Robbins, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Antonoff was hanging out with Swift and Healy at members-only Casa Cipriani in New York, where they were first spotted holding hands.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Your mom may be the person who loves you the most in the world, but she's probably got a lot of other things going on, like traveling for work, working out, or hanging out with friends.
—Adrienne So Gear Team, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024
The couple have since been spotted on multiple dinner dates and hanging out around Los Angeles.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Noun
Sponsored by a nearby beer-and-wings hangout called McDuffy’s Sports Grill, the show had cheesy lighting, bad music, and a ringside staff made up largely of Feldman’s friends and family.
—Stayton Bonner, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
Your next new hangout: Crunchy snacks, sake drinks and a buzzing scene at this Virgil Village izakaya.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Ardent Lounge to reopen May 17 with a ‘neighborhood hangout’ feel
The lounge side of Ardent will re-open May 17.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024
By the 1960s, in keeping with the peace, love and psychedelic area music of the period, the outdoor 163rd Street Shopping Center mirrored hippy hangout Coconut Grove neighborhoods that were about 20 miles to the south.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
Pair it with a T-shirt and platform sandals for brunch with friends or a park hangout.
—Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The revered restaurant, with roots tracing back more than two centuries, was once a hangout for Buffalo Bill.
—David Enrich, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Being completely isolated, Ocracoke was a popular hangout for pirates, including Blackbeard, who was captured nearby.
—Trudy Haywood Saunders, Travel + Leisure, 26 Mar. 2024
Meetings were often held in the basement of Polly’s, a MacDougal Street hangout established by anarchist Polly Holladay.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
Other prints showcase cliques of young Latino and Black men hanging out, or homegirls embracing each other.
—Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
One carousel showed her on a boat with a furry friend, a Polaroid collage of herself with friends and other images of the group hanging out together.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024
Around this time, Kravitz would often ask Eilish to hang out, but Eilish would never follow through.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2024
There won’t be cowboy hats and denim jackets hanging out at Elk Grove Park this year following the cancellation of the city’s annual Western Festival, which had been set for the first weekend of May.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 24 Apr. 2024
Scientists suggested that the big ungulates could no longer safely hang out along river or stream banks and eat everything in sight.
—Jim Robbins, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Antonoff was hanging out with Swift and Healy at members-only Casa Cipriani in New York, where they were first spotted holding hands.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
Your mom may be the person who loves you the most in the world, but she's probably got a lot of other things going on, like traveling for work, working out, or hanging out with friends.
—Adrienne So Gear Team, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024
The couple have since been spotted on multiple dinner dates and hanging out around Los Angeles.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hangout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Hangout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hangout. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hangout
noun
hang·out
ˈhaŋ-ˌau̇t
: a favorite place for spending time
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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