dangle
Americanverb (used without object)
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to hang loosely, especially with a jerking or swaying motion.
The rope dangled in the breeze.
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to hang around or follow a person, as if seeking favor or attention.
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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)
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to cause to dangle; hold or carry swaying loosely.
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to offer as an inducement.
noun
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the act of dangling.
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something that dangles.
idioms
verb
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to hang or cause to hang freely
his legs dangled over the wall
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(tr) to display as an enticement
the hope of a legacy was dangled before her
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dangle
1580–90; expressive word akin to Norwegian, Swedish dangla, Danish dangle dangle
Explanation
Dangle means to hang or swing loosely. If you dangle string above a kitten you will both be entertained. The verb dangle probably comes from a late 16th century Danish or Swedish word meaning “loose or pendulous,” though we don’t know for sure. You may have a taste for big, showy earrings that dangle. Or, you might even dangle a possibility — "If you were to dangle the prospect of dessert to a child, then you better follow through!"
Vocabulary lists containing dangle
Keystone Exams: English Composition Glossary
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"Lob's Girl" by Joan Aiken
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The Circuit
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
National and local governments dangle perks such as housing subsidies and startup funding.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
This may have been the most overt art-as-protest moment, showing dancers climbing sparking electrical poles, only to fall off and dangle by what looked like snipped wires.
From Salon • Feb. 9, 2026
A pair of blue and yellow earplugs dangle on Jose’s neck while waiting for work as a day laborer out of the Home Depot in Cypress Park.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
They dangle enticing offers: free phone consultations, free information booklets, free sign-ups for free resources.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 28, 2025
Some expressions are so common that they're allowed to dangle at the beginning of a sentence, even though they're not connected to anything in particular.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
