hang out

British  

verb

1. to suspend, be suspended, or lean, esp from an opening, as for display or airing

   to hang out the washing

2. informal (intr) to live at or frequent a place

   the police know where the thieves hang out

3. informal to frequent the company (of someone)

4. slang to relax completely in an unassuming way (esp in the phrase let it all hang out )

5. informal (intr) to act or speak freely, in an open, cooperative, or indiscreet manner

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noun

1. informal a place where one lives or that one frequently visits

hang out Idioms  

1. Protrude downward, as in The dog's tongue was hanging out , or The branches hung out over the driveway . [c. 1400]

2. Display a flag or sign of some kind, as in They hung out the flag on every holiday . [Mid-1500s]

3. Reside, live, as in I've found a place downtown, and I'll be hanging out there beginning next week . [c. 1800]

4. Spend one's free time in; also, loiter, pass time idly. For example, They hung out around the pool parlor , or They spent the evening just hanging out . [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

5. hang out with . Keep company with, appear in public with, as in She's hanging out with her ex-boyfriend again . [ Slang ; second half of 1900s] Also see the subsequent idioms beginning with hang out ; let it all hang out .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hang out

“How much do you want to hang out with your mate? I got bored of being Dhani Harrison anyway — I like being Dragonflies now.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

"All the adopted children were brought together to hang out and bond and have dinner."

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Eyelid lifts were one of the top five cosmetic surgeries last year; if you hang out in a certain corner of Instagram, you might not be able to escape the term bleph, short for blepharoplasty.

From Slate ● Sep. 2, 2026

Even if the set list is often similar, though, she has a group of friends to hang out with at many of the more than 30 Styles shows she has attended.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

There would be plenty of time for Chicken to play with Rishi, and time for Cat and Rishi to hang out together, too.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn