Definition

Verb (intransitive) 1. To spend time in a place, often with no particular purpose or activity; to linger or loiter. It describes being present in a location, usually idly or while waiting. 2. To associate with or be in the company of someone regularly.

Usage and Examples

• Basic Usage (intransitive): To stay in or near a place without a clear reason to leave.
  • After school, the kids often hang around the park for a while.
  • I saw a suspicious man hanging around outside the bank yesterday.
• With a person or group: To spend time with someone socially.
  • He mostly hangs around with people from his art class.
  • Who do you usually hang around with on weekends?

Advanced Usage and Nuance

• "Hang around" often implies a casual, relaxed, or aimless quality. It is less formal than "wait" or "remain."
• It can sometimes carry a slightly negative connotation of being somewhere unwanted or suspicious, as in the example "hanging around the department."
• The phrase can be used in the imperative to tell someone to wait.
  • Hang around for a bit, the meeting should be over soon.

Variants and Related Words

• Hang about (verb): A British English variant with the same meaning as "hang around."
  • We hung about the station until the train arrived.
• Hangout (noun): A place where someone regularly spends time.
  • The café became their favorite hangout.

Synonyms

• Loiter: To stand or wait around without apparent purpose (can have a stronger negative implication).
• Linger: To stay in a place longer than necessary, often reluctantly.
• Idle: To spend time doing nothing.
• Frequent (verb): To visit or be in a place often.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Hang on: To wait for a short time (often on the phone).
  • Hang on, I'll get him for you.
• Hang out: Very similar to "hang around," but often emphasizes socializing more than the location. It is extremely common in informal speech.
  • We hang out at the mall. / Do you want to hang out this Friday?

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "Not have much to hang around for": To have no good reason to stay in a place.
  • After the party ended, I didn't have much to hang around for, so I went home.

Verb

1. be about
   • The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square
   • Who is this man that is hanging around the department?