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

Things don’t get any better once her parents accept their daughter is telepathic; Julia, as the caring mother, uses it as an opportunity to give Marielle a lesson in hang-up free sexuality (a concept that follows on from Hambalek’s first feature Model Olimpia), but that too misfires. —Jay D. Weissberg, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2025

Campy, naughty, a little shocking, and a little old hat, The White Lotus’s third season has its flaws and its hang-ups, without question. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2025

Verb

Duggan: The Rams definitely need to ask about No. 3, and the Giants definitely need to hang up the phone. —Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025

Fitzgerald reasoned the date was too soon and hung up. —Stephanie Jones, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1952, in the meaning defined above

Verb

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

Rhymes for hang-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

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