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

I don’t want to hang out in that fear any more than I have to already.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

It’s as much a place for friends to hang out virtually as it is for gaming.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Their webs are a tangle of threads suspended above the ground and they like to hang out in kitchens and conservatories.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

“I’ve got to get in a little better shape to hang out with Justin.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

It was a thrill enough to just hang out with her.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith