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

Synonyms of hang around

• remain
• stay
• wait
• stick around

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

The snow and rain that fell across the region earlier today will continue to move out, though the cloud cover will hang around as temperatures peak in the low 40s this afternoon in the Philadelphia region. —Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025

Chicago has hung around the playoff mix, but Connor Bedard’s injury could push the Hawks back into seller mode. —Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 2025

Also, there is this human white boy with dreads, Spider, a Tarzan type who hangs around the Sullys with the help of an oxygen mask. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025

My dad hung around with Abbie Hoffman a bit back in the day. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for hang around

• aboveground
• battleground
• belowground
• paperbound
• turnaround
• ultrasound
• underground
• wraparound
• abound
• aground
• astound
• background

Kids Definition

hang around

verb

informal

: to pass time or stay idly in or at

hung around the house all day