hanging

1 of 2

adjective

hang·​ing ˈhaŋ-iŋ How to pronounce hanging (audio)
1
: situated or lying on steeply sloping ground
2
a
: jutting out : overhanging
a hanging rock
b
: supported only by the wall on one side
a hanging staircase
3
archaic : downcast in appearance
4
: adapted for sustaining a hanging object
5
: deserving, likely to cause, or prone to inflict death by hanging

hanging

2 of 2

noun

1
: an execution by strangling or breaking the neck by a suspended noose
2
: something hung: such as
a
b
: a covering (such as a tapestry) for a wall
3
: a downward slope : declivity

Examples of hanging in a Sentence

Adjective hanging branches blocked our way for a good part of the trail light from a hanging chandelier filled the great hall Noun The hanging was scheduled for 3 o'clock. He was sentenced to death by hanging.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The neutral material keeps it from looking like an eye sore and can be expanded for more hanging space as needed. Micaela Arnett, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2024 This playful hanging figure will give your trick-or-treaters and guests a laugh instead of a fright. Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2023 The main issue seems to be efficiently generating enough momentum to get moving, a task usually accomplished by a hanging arm that swings back and forth, much like a child pumping their legs on a swing. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 13 Apr. 2017 There’s also a storage drawer for small, non-hanging items. Kj Callihan, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2022 Believe it or not, many modern garment bags come with extra storage features for things like laptops, shoes, and non-hanging clothes. Hillary Maglin, Travel + Leisure, 6 May 2022 One such trip for Buttigieg happens to be to New Hampshire Monday to do two hanging-curveball events—one on expanding commuter rail, the other on money in the infrastructure bill to improve the Manchester mill yard. Daniel Strauss, The New Republic, 13 Dec. 2021 Then, just before the Fourth of July, two adult orioles began bringing tender morsels of yumminess to a hanging, pendulous nest in the tree. Sheryl Devore, chicagotribune.com, 9 July 2021 After several unsuccessful ploys by his henchmen to save his life -- including one that would be attempted post-hanging -- Cardinella was down to one last try. Kori Rumore, chicagotribune.com, 13 Mar. 2021
Noun
The Consumer segment provides consumer bandages, braces, supports, and consumer respirators; cleaning products for the home; retail abrasives, paint accessories, car care D.I.Y. products, picture hanging, and consumer air quality solutions; and stationery products. Joe Cornell, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Lipa was joined by a dozen dancers in all black hanging from gym bars to better pair with the training season effect. Holly Alvarado, Orange County Register, 4 Feb. 2024 The state has used several execution methods over the years, including hangings, electrocution and lethal injection. Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 30 Jan. 2024 The show is a dramatization of the 1913 trial, imprisonment and eventual hanging of Jewish American Leo Frank in Georgia after he was accused — falsely, most historians agree — of a brutal crime. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2024 Similarly, bedside caddies and style-station organizers are increasingly popular items that allow for easy hanging and convenient access, Drill said. Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 In New York, Denno said, hangings became public spectacles, in one case in 1827 drawing such a crowd that a viewing stand collapsed, killing two onlookers. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024 Posts have included calls for the justices and Trump opponents to be killed by gunfire, hanging or bombs, while others are encouraging followers to stock up on weapons and ammunition and urging a civil war against Democrats. Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2023 No Lunar New Year preparation would be complete without the aforementioned hanging of red banners bearing auspicious phrases and idioms (called fai chun in Cantonese, or chunlian, in Mandarin) at home – beginning with one’s front door. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hanging.' 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

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hanging was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hanging

Cite this Entry

“Hanging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hanging. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hanging

1 of 2 noun
hang·​ing
ˈhaŋ-iŋ
1
: an execution by strangling or breaking the neck by a suspended noose
2
: something hung (as a curtain or tapestry)
usually used in plural

hanging

2 of 2 adjective
1
: located on steeply sloping ground
hanging gardens
2
a
: sticking out
hanging rocks
b
: supported only by the wall on one side
a hanging staircase
3
: suitable for holding a hanging object
4
: punishable by hanging
a hanging offense

More from Merriam-Webster on hanging

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