hang
verb /hæŋ/
/hæŋ/
In sense 4, hanged /hæŋd/
/hæŋd/
is used for the past tense and past participle.Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they hang | /hæŋ/ /hæŋ/ |
| he / she / it hangs | /hæŋz/ /hæŋz/ |
| past simple hung | /hʌŋ/ /hʌŋ/ |
| past participle hung | /hʌŋ/ /hʌŋ/ |
| -ing form hanging | /ˈhæŋɪŋ/ /ˈhæŋɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to attach something, or to be attached, at the top so that the lower part is free or loose
- hang something + adv./prep. Hang your coat on the hook.
- Activists hung a banner from the roof of the building.
- hang something up Shall I hang your coat up?
- hang something (out) (British English) Have you hung out the washing?
- (North American English) Have you hung the wash?
- hang adv./prep. There were several expensive suits hanging in the wardrobe.
- Clothes hung from hooks on the walls.
- His school bag was still hanging on the back of the door.
- [intransitive] hang adv./prep. when something hangs in a particular way, it falls in that way
- Her hair hung down to her waist.
- He had lost weight and the suit hung loosely on him.
- [intransitive, transitive] to bend or let something bend downwards
- hang adv./prep. The dog's tongue was hanging out.
- Children hung (= were leaning) over the gate.
- A cigarette hung from her lips.
- hang something She hung her head in shame.
Extra Examples- Her injured arm hung uselessly at her side.
- Large leaves hung down from the branches of the trees.
- The monkey was hanging by its tail from the beams overhead.
- The sloth spends most of its time hanging upside down from the branches.
- (hanged, hanged)[transitive, intransitive] hang (somebody/yourself) to kill somebody, usually as a punishment, by tying a rope around their neck and allowing them to drop; to be killed in this way
- He was the last man to be hanged for murder in this country.
- She had committed suicide by hanging herself from a beam.
- At that time you could hang for stealing.
- [intransitive] (especially North American English, informal) to spend time relaxing or enjoying yourself
- ‘What are you all doing?’ ‘Just hanging.’
- hang with somebody Do you wanna come hang with us?
- [transitive, intransitive] hang (something) to attach something, especially a picture, to a hook (= a curved piece of metal) on a wall; to be attached in this way
- We hung her portrait above the fireplace.
- Several of his paintings hang in the Tate Gallery.
- [transitive, usually passive] to decorate a place by placing paintings, etc. on a wall
- be hung with something The rooms were hung with tapestries.
- [transitive] hang something to stick wallpaper to a wallTopics Houses and homesc2
- [transitive] hang something to attach a door or gate to a post so that it moves freely
- [intransitive] + adv./prep. to stay in the air
- Smoke hung in the air above the city.
Extra Examples- Heavy grey clouds were hanging low in the sky.
- The smell of burning plastic hung in the air.
- (figurative) The question seemed to hang in the space between them.
attach from top
fall loosely
bend downwards
kill somebody
relax
pictures
wallpaper
door/gate
stay in the air
Word OriginOld English hangian (intransitive verb), of West Germanic origin, related to Dutch and German hangen, reinforced by the Old Norse transitive verb hanga.
Idioms
hang something
- (British English, informal) used to say that you are not going to worry about something
- Oh, let's get two and hang the expense!
hang by a hair/thread
- (of a person’s life) to be in great dangerTopics Dangerc2
hang/hold fire
- to delay or be delayed in taking action
- The project had hung fire for several years for lack of funds.
hang your hat
- (North American English, informal) to live in a particular place
- These multimillion-dollar homes are more than just a place to hang your hat.
hang your hat on something
- (North American English, informal) to depend or rely on something
- The research is interesting, but you cannot hang your hat on it.
hang/lie heavy
- hang/lie heavy (on/in something) (of a feeling or something in the air) to be very easy to notice in a particular place in a way that is unpleasant
- Smoke lay heavy on the far side of the water.
- Despair hangs heavy in the stifling air.
- hang/lie heavy on somebody/something to cause somebody/something to feel uncomfortable or anxious
- The crime lay heavy on her conscience.
hang (on) in there
- (informal) to remain determined to succeed even when a situation is difficultTopics Successc2
hang a left/right
- (informal) to take a left/right turn
hang/stay loose
- (especially North American English, informal) to remain calm; to not worry
- It's OK—hang loose and stay cool.
hang/hold on for/like grim death (British English)
(also hang/hold on for dear life North American English, British English)
- (informal) to hold somebody/something very tightly or keep something in a very determined way because you are afraid
- You get a job, then you get a mortgage and then you hang on like grim death to your job to pay off the mortgage.
hang on somebody’s words/on somebody’s every word
- to listen with great attention to somebody you admire
- The journalists hung on his every word as he spoke of his ordeal.
hang somebody out to dry
- (informal) to put somebody in a difficult situation
- She is being hung out to dry for one silly mistake.
hang tough
- (North American English, informal) to be determined and refuse to change your attitude or ideas
(be/hang) in the balance
- if the future of something/somebody, or the result of something is/hangs in the balance, it is not certain
- The long-term future of the space programme hangs in the balance.
- Tom’s life hung in the balance for two weeks as he lay in a coma.
let it all hang out
- (informal) to express your feelings freely
(you, etc.) may/might as well be hanged/hung for a sheep as (for) a lamb
- (saying) if you are going to be punished for doing something wrong, whether it is a big or small thing, you may as well do the big thing
a peg to hang something on
- something that gives you an excuse or opportunity to discuss or explain something
- The character provides a peg to hang the writer’s political ideas on.