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 Lidz
Synonyms
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 WebWIRED, 9 Nov. 2023
This version pays tribute to him, and gives a nod to its own lineage, by naming the characters’ neighborhood hangout Mahoney’s Pub.
—Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2023
Maryland was in the Union, but this club became a hangout for Confederate sympathizers.
—Anna Deavere Smith, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2023
Though the sale and import of alcohol was banned from 1920 to 1933, booze was still flowing freely across taverns and gangster hangouts in rural Wisconsin, where even mobster Al Capone had a refuge.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
The Shores’ Big Bang happened in 1926, when Frederick William Kellogg launched a $900,000 plan to dig a harbor, build two breakwaters and create an exclusive hangout for the sailing set.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2023
Georgia At Manuel’s Tavern, a historic hangout in Atlanta’s Poncey-Highland district, the barroom screens were on mute as the president addressed the nation.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023
Grant remembers getting his hair cut as a teenager at a shop on Benning Road NE, then crossing the street for chicken and mumbo sauce at Wings & More Wings, which would become his afternoon hangout.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2023
The online platform is filled with free games, experiences, and social hangouts that are designed and built by its users.
—Michael Calore, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023
Alma Avalle, Bon Appétit, 25 Nov. 2023
The Reel clipped together some especially precious moments of 2022 PEOPLE'S Sexiest Man Alive hanging out with furry friends on the shelter’s floor.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023
Take that last-minute trip to your local ski mountain, sign up for a pottery class, and say yes to hanging out with a new group of friends.
—Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, 22 Nov. 2023
Fewer still have physical spaces for those students to hang out.
—Matt Krupnick, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
The affidavit states that police were told the passenger of the Honda Pilot, who was identified as Rascon-Montanez, was hanging out the window firing a gun as the Tacoma passed.
—Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 20 Nov. 2023
Fennec fox Native to the deserts of North Africa, fennec foxes are the smallest of the canid species and don’t really hang out with humans.
—Lee Powell, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Wine shops are breaking rules and becoming relaxed spots to hang out and sip and maybe even get a snack or a meal from a food truck.
—Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023
The two hang out off the court as well — building Legos, going to Six Flags Magic Mountain or fueling up at their favorite eatery.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
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Noun
By late 2021 Jacob Loewenstein, a Spatial cofounder and the company’s head of business development, was giving a talk at a VR conference at a Silicon Valley convention center, telling the VR-enthused audience that 75 percent of people using Spatial’s virtual hangout rooms weren’t using VR at all.
—WIRED, 9 Nov. 2023
This version pays tribute to him, and gives a nod to its own lineage, by naming the characters’ neighborhood hangout Mahoney’s Pub.
—Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2023
Maryland was in the Union, but this club became a hangout for Confederate sympathizers.
—Anna Deavere Smith, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2023
Though the sale and import of alcohol was banned from 1920 to 1933, booze was still flowing freely across taverns and gangster hangouts in rural Wisconsin, where even mobster Al Capone had a refuge.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
The Shores’ Big Bang happened in 1926, when Frederick William Kellogg launched a $900,000 plan to dig a harbor, build two breakwaters and create an exclusive hangout for the sailing set.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2023
Georgia At Manuel’s Tavern, a historic hangout in Atlanta’s Poncey-Highland district, the barroom screens were on mute as the president addressed the nation.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023
Grant remembers getting his hair cut as a teenager at a shop on Benning Road NE, then crossing the street for chicken and mumbo sauce at Wings & More Wings, which would become his afternoon hangout.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2023
The online platform is filled with free games, experiences, and social hangouts that are designed and built by its users.
—Michael Calore, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023
Verb
Perhaps the little one in your life would like to join the quest for a missing melon, or hang out with an anthropomorphized block of ramen, or meet an alligator named Al Dente.
—Alma Avalle, Bon Appétit, 25 Nov. 2023
The Reel clipped together some especially precious moments of 2022 PEOPLE'S Sexiest Man Alive hanging out with furry friends on the shelter’s floor.
—Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023
Take that last-minute trip to your local ski mountain, sign up for a pottery class, and say yes to hanging out with a new group of friends.
—Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, 22 Nov. 2023
Fewer still have physical spaces for those students to hang out.
—Matt Krupnick, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023
The affidavit states that police were told the passenger of the Honda Pilot, who was identified as Rascon-Montanez, was hanging out the window firing a gun as the Tacoma passed.
—Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 20 Nov. 2023
Fennec fox Native to the deserts of North Africa, fennec foxes are the smallest of the canid species and don’t really hang out with humans.
—Lee Powell, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Wine shops are breaking rules and becoming relaxed spots to hang out and sip and maybe even get a snack or a meal from a food truck.
—Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023
The two hang out off the court as well — building Legos, going to Six Flags Magic Mountain or fueling up at their favorite eatery.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
See More
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 4 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
hangout
noun
hang·out
ˈhaŋ-ˌau̇t
: a favorite place for spending time
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