hangman

noun

hang·​man ˈhaŋ-mən 

1

: one who hangs a condemned person

also : a public executioner

2

: a game in which the object is for one player to guess the letters of an unknown word before the player who knows the word creates a stick figure of a hanged man by drawing one line for each incorrect guess

Examples of hangman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The death penalty has just been abolished in the United Kingdom, and all the townspeople in Oldham want to know what the second-best hangman in the country has to say about it. —Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

But since taking office, the president has been tightening up his definition of freedom like a hangman’s noose. —Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025

Our staff plays hangman to pass some time. —R29 Team, refinery29.com, 7 Mar. 2025

They got engaged in May 2016 After two years of dating, Adam proposed to Jessica during a game of hangman. —Emily Weaver, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

hangman

noun

hang·​man ˈhaŋ-mən 

1

: a person who hangs condemned criminals

2

: a game in which the object is for one player to guess the letters of an unknown word before the player who knows the word creates a stick figure of a hanged man by drawing one line for each incorrect guess