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

When it’s consumed, sodium hangs around the exterior of cells, where its positive electrical charge attracts water molecules into the bloodstream and tissues. —Matt Fuchs, TIME, 16 Sep. 2024

The average cost of monthly rent in Portland hangs around $1,750, according to RentCafe. —Meira Gebel, Axios, 16 Sep. 2024

Also, cannabis hangs around in the body long after the high has disappeared, which might result in a positive result for cannabis if tested after a driving violation, and the legal consequences that follow. —New Atlas, 13 Sep. 2024

Artwork by mother, daughter and friends hang around the house. —Hannah Frances Johansson, CNN, 13 Sep. 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