dangle
/'dæɳgl/
Definition
Verb (transitive):
- To cause something to hang or swing loosely, often from a point of attachment.
- To hold or offer something enticingly to someone.
Verb (intransitive):
- To hang or swing loosely and freely.
Examples of Usage
Transitive Verb:
- He dangled the keys in front of the lock. (He held the keys so they hung and swung loosely near the lock.)
- The boss dangled a promotion in front of her to motivate her. (The boss offered the possibility of a promotion as an enticement.)
Intransitive Verb:
- The keys dangled from the hook. (The keys hung loosely from the hook.)
- A loose wire was dangling from the ceiling. (A wire was hanging and swinging freely from the ceiling.)
Advanced Usage
"to dangle a carrot (before someone)": To offer a tempting reward or incentive to persuade someone to do something.
- The company dangled the carrot of a company car to attract top candidates.
"to leave someone dangling": To leave someone in a state of uncertainty or suspense, often by not providing a clear answer or decision.
- After the interview, they left me dangling for two weeks before calling.
Variants and Related Words
Dangler (n): 1. Something that dangles. 2. (Grammar, informal) A misplaced modifier, often a participle, that is not clearly connected to the word it modifies.
- "Walking to the store, the rain started." contains a dangler ("Walking to the store" doesn't logically modify "the rain").
Dangling (adj): Hanging down loosely.
- She fixed the dangling thread on her sleeve.
Synonyms
- Hang: To be attached from above with the lower part free. (More general; "dangle" implies a looser, swinging motion.)
- Swing: To move back and forth suspended or on an axis.
- Sway: To move slowly and rhythmically back and forth.
- Flaunt: To display something ostentatiously. (Closer to the "offer enticingly" sense.)
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Dangle about/around/after/round (someone): (Intransitive, somewhat dated/informal) To follow someone closely and persistently, often in hope of gain or favor.
- Several reporters were dangling around the celebrity, hoping for a comment.
Related Idioms
- Have someone dangling on a string: To have complete control over someone, keeping them in a state of anxious expectation.
- She had him dangling on a string, never sure if she would agree to go out with him.
Verb
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cause to dangle or hang freely
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He dangled the ornaments from the Christmas tree
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hang freely
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the ornaments dangled from the tree
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The light dropped from the ceiling
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