hangout

1 of 2

noun

hang·​out ˈhaŋ-ˌau̇t 

: a favorite place for spending time

also : a place frequented for entertainment or for socializing

hang out

2 of 2

verb

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

Traditionally, most owners [of sports teams] are rich egomaniacs eager to hang out with athletes and get their names in the paper.

—George Vecsey

3

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

Back 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

Synonyms of hangout

Noun

• haunt

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 Web

Noun

This is situated on one side of the kitchen and hosts a bed that doubles as a hangout space, plus there's a chair and some storage installed, with a mini-split air-conditioning unit on the wall. —New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2026

If that feels too buzzy, make your way up to the 14th floor, where the Living Room, overlooking the spectacular outdoor pool, is a hush-hush hangout only accessible to hotel guests. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026

Verb

While Sean Payton was jetting to the scouting combine, his left tackle was hanging out with Boy Scouts. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026

While shooting her previous feature in Chile, McAlpine noticed donkeys hanging out around an observatory. —Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1893, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hangout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

hangout

noun

hang·​out ˈhaŋ-ˌau̇t 

: a favorite place for spending time