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

"I go to school, I hang out with my friends and my life has just completely changed overnight."

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

If not, I have a simple solution: Just hang out!

From Slate ● Jul. 10, 2026

I usually walk between the Venice pier and Washington Street, but sometimes I’ll go further north and walk along Venice Beach if I want to hang out with some freaky deakies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

“They hang out here,” said Makayla Thomas, 19.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

That’s where he and his friends—all the biggest and meanest kids in school—liked to hang out.

From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon