dangle

[ dang-guhl ]

/ ˈdæŋ gəl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR dangle ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), dan·gled, dan·gling.

to hang loosely, especially with a jerking or swaying motion: The rope dangled in the breeze.

to hang around or follow a person, as if seeking favor or attention.

Grammar. to occur as a modifier without a head or as a participle without an implied subject, as leaving the tunnel in The daylight was blinding, leaving the tunnel.

verb (used with object), dan·gled, dan·gling.

to cause to dangle; hold or carry swaying loosely.

to offer as an inducement.

noun

the act of dangling.

something that dangles.

Words nearby dangle

danger cave, danger man, danger money, dangerous, dangerous offender, dangle, dangleberry, dangling participle, dani, dania, daniel

Idioms for dangle

keep someone dangling, to keep someone in a state of uncertainty.

Origin of dangle

1580–90; expressive word akin to Norwegian, Swedish dangla, Danish dangle dangle

SYNONYMS FOR dangle

1 swing, sway, flap.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR dangle ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM dangle

dan·gler, noundan·gling·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dangle

Dangle mere feet from one of these behemoths to feel very small indeed.
It’s a Big, Big World: Sights That Make You Feel Small|Lonely Planet|December 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And, like it or not, those are exactly the types of players at whom the Yankees like to dangle money, yearly.
New York Is Not Really the Best Place for the All-Star Game|Sarah Langs|July 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Plenty of novels can dangle the facts well enough to merit our page-turning interest.
Desperately Seeking Charm: Steven Amsterdam on an Elusive Quality|Steven Amsterdam|April 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Would the Park Avenue Armory string hundreds of Picassos or Rembrandts on wire and dangle them 45 feet in the air?
Infinite Variety: The Quilt Show's Catch-22|Lizzie Crocker|March 29, 2011|DAILY BEAST

The leadership may have to dangle choice committee assignments to complete the steal, and engage in other kinds of horse-trading.
How To Switch Parties|Samuel P. Jacobs|January 6, 2010|DAILY BEAST
They were then tied upon poles of maguey, and set upright over the carcasses, so as to dangle and dance about in the wind.
The Hunters' Feast|Mayne Reid
In a hot July it is not unpleasant to dangle one's feet in water during the sultry dark hours.
The Card, A Story Of Adventure In The Five Towns|Arnold Bennett
He will dangle willingly enough at Orestes's heels for the sake of being near her—poor fool!
Hypatia|Charles Kingsley
The other islands may be said to dangle from Luzon like the tail of a kite.
The American Occupation of the Philippines 1898-1912|James H. Blount
Phipps was abashed by his inability to cope with the tandem, which he was now wheeling, but Dangle was inclined to be quarrelsome.
The Wheels of Chance|H. G. Wells

British Dictionary definitions for dangle

dangle

/ (ˈdæŋɡəl) /

verb

to hang or cause to hang freelyhis legs dangled over the wall

(tr) to display as an enticementthe hope of a legacy was dangled before her

noun

the act of dangling or something that dangles

Derived forms of dangle

dangler, noundanglingly, adverb

Word Origin for dangle

C16: perhaps from Danish dangle, probably of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dangle

verb (used without object), dan·gled, dan·gling.

verb (used with object), dan·gled, dan·gling.

noun

Content related to dangle

Words related to dangle

Words nearby dangle

Idioms for dangle

Origin of dangle

SYNONYMS FOR dangle

OTHER WORDS FROM dangle

Examples from the Web for dangle

British Dictionary definitions for dangle

verb

noun

Derived forms of dangle

Word Origin for dangle