hang-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈhaŋ-ˌəp 

: a source of mental or emotional difficulty

broadly : problem

hang up

2 of 2

verb

hung up; hanging up; hangs up

transitive verb

1

a

: to place on a hook or hanger designed for the purpose

hang up your coat

b

: to replace (a telephone receiver) on the cradle so that the connection is broken

2

: to keep delayed, suspended, or held up

3

: to cause to stick or snag immovably

the ship was hung up on a sandbar

intransitive verb

1

: to break a telephone connection

2

: to become stuck or snagged so as to be immovable

Synonyms

Noun

• affliction
• demon
• daemon
• terror
• torment

Examples of hang-up in a Sentence

Noun

low self-esteem is only one of his many hang-ups

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But a new method created by a team at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology avoids these hang-ups. —Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024

His music is a blast—and a challenge to the psychological hang-ups of modern partygoers, including himself. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2024

Verb

Don’t get hung up on wheat, oats, rice, and corn, though. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024

One thing about this movie that’s so cool is no one was hung up on the literal part of playing each other. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1952, in the meaning defined above

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

hang-up

1 of 2 noun

ˈhaŋ-ˌəp

: a source of mental or emotional difficulty

hang up

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)haŋ-ˈəp

1

a

: to place on a hook or hanger

hang up your coat

b

: to replace a telephone receiver on the cradle so that the connection is broken

also : to end a telephone conversation

2

: to snag or cause to snag so as to be immovable

a boat hung up on rocks