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

In general, he said tech leaders must increasingly come across as “almost, like, great to hang out with.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

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

The actor came to Los Angeles to meet Starr "to hang out" - not to study his movements.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Is she so desperate for company that she wants to hang out with me?

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish