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
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
Cite this Entry
“Hangout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hangout. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.
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