dangle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
dangles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dangled,
past participle, past
-
dangling
present participle
-
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)
-
dangles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dangled,
past participle, past
-
dangling
present participle
-
to cause to dangle; hold or carry swaying loosely.
-
to offer as an inducement.
noun
-
the act of dangling.
-
something that dangles.
idioms
verb
-
to hang or cause to hang freely
his legs dangled over the wall
-
(tr) to display as an enticement
the hope of a legacy was dangled before her
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
danglesimple
-
danglessimple
-
have dangledperfect
-
has dangledperfect
-
am danglingprogressive
-
are danglingprogressive
-
is danglingprogressive
-
have been danglingperfect progressive
-
has been danglingperfect progressive
Past
-
dangledsimple
-
had dangledperfect
-
was danglingprogressive
-
were danglingprogressive
-
had been danglingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
If they sense you’re a bored retiree, they will dangle the allure of giving your life renewed purpose.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Instead, the law provides the city with an incentive to dangle before the team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Here’s what can’t be denied: The Sunshine State’s reputation as the nation’s dangle, Heaven’s lobby, and a land of swamp creatures and crocodile wrestlers and Disneyworld and Mar-A-Lago and, somehow, Miami.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026
Talley’s suncatchers dangle in the air and catch the light, an homage to algae’s most impactful contribution: producing over half of the world’s oxygen, which they do using energy from the sun.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
Several lamps made out of mason jars filled with light bulbs dangle from the ceiling.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
Time stands still at the nearby burnt-out house of the Siman Tov family, where a wind chime dangles by the door.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
And if you detour to the second-floor library, you’ll get the best view of a banana-yellow starfighter from “The Phantom Menace” that dangles over the lobby with R2-D2 perched in the tandem seat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
A swing dangles lazily in the middle of the room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 11, 2026
“Love Is Blind”’s gamification dangles the promise of a deeper emotional connection, which was especially appealing when lockdowns closed community third spaces and further cemented TV as a dominant cultural hub.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026
Mom’s ring dangles from a golden chain around her neck, and the stage lights make the diamond twinkle.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
Tom Cruise has dangled from cliffs, skyscrapers and planes, but oil magnate Digger Rockwell is his riskiest role in eons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
In September, he dangled a naked ultimatum: Either ABC “took action” against Kimmel, or the network would face severe regulatory consequences.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
Once Williams committed to playing doubles, Wimbledon all but dangled a singles wild card in front of Williams’s face.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Sanchez also dangled the prospect of a massive port deal for American investors -- one that would rival a Chinese port concession at Chancay north of Lima that has long irked the White House.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Vines dangled from low-hanging branches, and roots dipped in and out of the water, while the treetops disappeared into blurry white, as if some supreme cartoonist had forgotten to finish drawing them.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
It’s also compounding an unprecedented poaching spree of top performers across the top law firms, with competitors dangling lucrative compensation packages and senior positions and sometimes hiring away entire teams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
It incentivized competition in part by dangling more than $500,000 in prize money for each player on the winning team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Their surfaces do not contain dangling bonds, which makes it difficult to grow an extremely thin dielectric film evenly across them.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
The title track is full of thwarted desire, as Gavin tries and fails to get the attention of a girl who constantly leaves her dangling.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
With a smirk he stuck an arm out to stop me while simultaneously dangling it just out of my reach.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
