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

• 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

Legacy found a way to hang around. —Cody Thorn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2025

If you’re tempted, act fast because Amazon prices like this usually won't hang around. —Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025

These slip-ons are ideal for giving your tired feet some love while hanging around a campsite at the end of a long day of hiking. —Jennifer Heimlich, SELF, 29 Aug. 2025

Even standing in the middle of a village square with a gun could be seen this way, given how many people hang around with guns in Israel. —Sam Fleischacker, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 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