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

"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

“And then you run into Jason, and then, I’m like, ‘That’s who I want to hang out with.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

There were fewer places to hang out, and the ones that remained were less useful due to overcrowding.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

“You’re not going to believe this,” I say to Ollie, “but Hoku wants to hang out next weekend.”

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila