Definition

1. Verb (Phrasal Verb):
   • To wait or remain on a telephone line: To hold the line during a temporary pause in a telephone conversation.
   • To persist or continue firmly: To refuse to stop or give up in spite of difficulties.
   • To hold tightly or cling to something: To grasp something firmly for support or stability.

Usage and Examples

• To wait on the telephone:

  • "Please hang on for a moment while I transfer your call."
  • "She asked me to hang on while she checked the schedule."

• To persist or continue:

  • "You have to hang on and keep trying; success is close."
  • "He hung on to his dream of becoming a pilot despite the setbacks."

• To hold tightly:

  • "Hang on to the railing when you go down the stairs."
  • "The child hung on to her mother's hand in the crowded market."

Advanced Usage

• "Hang on in there": An idiomatic expression of encouragement, meaning to persist through a difficult situation.

  • "I know the training is tough, but just hang on in there."

• "Hang on to something": To keep or retain something carefully, often something valuable or important.

  • "You should hang on to those old letters; they might be valuable."

Variants and Related Words

• Hanger-on (noun): A person who associates with another person or group, especially for personal gain.

  • "The celebrity was surrounded by hangers-on hoping for favors."

• Hang (verb): The base verb, meaning to suspend or attach from above without support from below.

Synonyms

• Wait (for the telephone meaning): Stay, hold.
• Persist (for the continue meaning): Endure, persevere, carry on.
• Hold (for the grasp meaning): Cling, grip, clutch.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Hang onto: Synonymous with "hang on to," meaning to hold tightly or keep possession of.

  • "Hang onto your ticket; you'll need it later."

• Hang up: To end a telephone call by breaking the connection.

  • "After saying goodbye, she hung up the phone."

Related Idioms

• Hang on by a thread: To be in a very precarious or dangerous situation; to barely survive or continue.

  • "After the scandal, his career was hanging on by a thread."

• Hang on someone's every word: To listen to someone with great attention and admiration.

  • "The students hung on the professor's every word during the fascinating lecture."

Verb

1. hold the phone line open
   • Please hang on while I get your folder
2. be persistent, refuse to stop
   • he persisted to call me every night
   • The child persisted and kept asking questions
3. fix to; attach
   • append a charm to the necklace