hanging

American  

[hang-ing] / ˈhæŋ ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act, an instance, or the form of capital punishment carried out by suspending one by the neck from a gallows, gibbet, or the like, until dead.

2. Often hangings. something that hangs or is hung on the walls of a room, as a drapery or tapestry.

3. a suspending or temporary attaching, as of a painting.

   a careless hanging of pictures.

---

adjective

1. punishable by, deserving, or causing death by hanging.

   a hanging crime; a hanging offense.

2. inclined to inflict death by hanging.

   a hanging jury.

3. suspended; pendent; overhanging.

   a hanging cliff.

4. situated on a steep slope or at a height.

   a hanging garden.

5. directed downward.

   a hanging look.

6. made, holding, or suitable for a hanging object.

hanging British  

/ ˈhæŋɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the putting of a person to death by suspending the body by the neck from a noose

   2. ( as modifier )

      a hanging offence

2. (often plural) a decorative textile such as a tapestry or drapery hung on a wall or over a window

3. the act of a person or thing that hangs

---

adjective

1. not supported from below; suspended

2. undecided; still under discussion

3. inclining or projecting downwards; overhanging

4. situated on a steep slope or in a high place

5. (prenominal) given to issuing harsh sentences, esp death sentences

   a hanging judge

6. informal unpleasant

7. chess See hanging pawn

Other Word Forms

• hangingly
  adverb
• unhanging
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hanging

1250–1300; Middle English (noun, adj.), Old English hangande (adj.) See hang, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

She would need to cut the umbilical cord herself and return to the hospital for care in a diaper, her fetus wrapped in towels and the cord hanging between her legs.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

“But you already know you can’t pet us! The fact that we are hanging out in the park doesn’t mean we are pets. Admire us from afar and leave us in peace, OK?”

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Several risks are still hanging over the stock market, including long-held fears that the lofty promises of the artificial-intelligence revolution—juiced productivity, skyrocketing profits—might not pan out after all.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Sea creatures hanging on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

Bo gazed up at me, his eyes shining with love, tongue hanging out, ears flopped forward in that way they did that melted my heart.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler