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

• abide
• dwell
• remain
• stay
• stick around
• tarry

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

But Monday, Verhaeghe hung around the net as a Panthers power play ended and Evan Rodrigues gathered the puck along the left boards. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 June 2024

Most reporting suggested the elder brother had tried to be recruited by local jihadists, and hung around Makhachkala for weeks, hoping to get the invitation. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 24 June 2024

Allen started hanging around Sun Ra after the war, in Chicago, while working at a camera shop. —Robert Sullivan, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024

These Align tanks are our favorite in the sporty category, perfect for yoga, running errands, or just hanging around the house. —Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 14 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

hang around

verb

informal

: to pass time or stay idly in or at

hung around the house all day