Definition

1. Verb (intransitive):

   • To spend time in a particular place, often in a relaxed or social manner.
   • To spend time with a particular person or group of people.

2. Verb (transitive):

   • To suspend something so it is visible in an open space (a less common, literal meaning, but included for completeness as it is the base form).

Usage and Examples

• Intransitive Verb (Most Common Meaning):

  • Where do you usually hang out on weekends?
  • They hang out at the library after school.
  • I'm just hanging out at home tonight.

• Transitive Verb (Literal Meaning):

  • She will hang out the wet clothes on the line to dry. (Note: This usage is often phrased as "hang out the laundry.")

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Hang out with [someone]": This is the most frequent construction for the social meaning.
  • He's been hanging out with his new classmates.
• It implies informal, unstructured time and is often used for casual socializing among friends.
• The past tense and past participle are hung out.
  • We hung out at the park all afternoon.

Variants and Related Words

• Hangout (noun): A place where someone frequently spends time socially.
  • That coffee shop is our favorite hangout.
• Hanger-on (noun): A person who associates with another person or group for personal gain, not a direct variant but related in the sense of "staying around."

Synonyms

• Socialize: To participate in social activities.
• Spend time: A more general phrase.
• Chill (informal): To spend time relaxing.
• Frequent (verb): To visit a place often.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Hang around: Very similar to "hang out," meaning to wait or spend time in a place without a specific purpose.
  • He likes to hang around the music store.
• Hang back: To hesitate or stay behind others.
  • She decided to hang back and observe the meeting.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• Let it all hang out (idiom): To behave in a very relaxed, uninhibited way.
  • At the beach party, everyone could let it all hang out.
• Hang out one's shingle (idiom): To start one's own professional business, especially as a doctor or lawyer. (This uses the literal "hang out" meaning).
  • After passing the bar exam, she hung out her shingle as a defense attorney.

Verb

1. spend time in a certain location or with certain people
   • She hangs out at the corner cafe