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

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 On safari in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Frier was ‘hanging around’ a pile of rocks as lion cubs were being nursed nearby. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 How could the Chiefs allow an up-and-down Atlanta team to hang around as a threat until the final minute? Andrew Greif, NBC News, 23 Sep. 2024 The Longhorns are just way too talented and deep for CSU to hang around past the second quarter. Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2024 Zoom in: Perhaps the most legendary ghost at Four Peaks is Victor, an old man whose spirit is said to hang around their industrial cooler. Jessica Boehm, Axios, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hang around 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hang around.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of hang around was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near hang around

Cite this Entry

“Hang around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang%20around. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hang around

verb
informal
: to pass time or stay idly in or at
hung around the house all day
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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