hang around

verb

hung around; hanging around; hangs around
Synonyms of hang aroundnext
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Blocks from the main entrance to Southern University A&M, a small crowd hung around a convenience store, but people were unwilling to talk about politics, eyeing strangers suspiciously. — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 One bonus has been the discovery that feline family members of various New York households especially enjoy hanging around the batteries. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 Then there’s snake, tiger, zebra, and deer print…cow print is still hanging around too. — Fiona Ward, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2026 Peas, mushrooms, asparagus, or whatever else is hanging around the crisper would be just as welcome. — Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hang around

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of hang around was in 1823

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hang around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang%20around. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

hang around

verb
informal
: to pass time or stay idly in or at
hung around the house all day
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