straphanger

/'stræp,hæɳə/

Thân thiện

A straphanger holds onto a strap as the subway car moves.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A standing passenger on public transportation who holds a hanging strap for support: A person who is standing on a bus, subway, or train and uses an overhead strap or handle to steady themselves.
   • A commuter who regularly uses public transportation: A person who travels to work, especially in a city, using buses, subways, or trains, often implying they frequently stand during the journey.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • During rush hour, the train was packed with straphangers.
  • As a daily straphanger, she was used to reading her book while standing.

Advanced Usage

• The term often evokes the image of a crowded commute and can be used figuratively to describe the experience of regular public transit users.
  • The politician's speech aimed to address the daily frustrations of the city's straphangers.

Variants and Related Words

• Straphang (verb, informal, rare): To ride as a standing passenger holding a strap.
  • I had to straphang all the way downtown.

Synonyms

• Standing passenger
• Commuter
• Transit rider

Related Phrases

• To be a straphanger: To regularly commute while standing on public transit.
  • For ten years, he was a straphanger on the 7 train.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a standing subway or bus passenger who grips a hanging strap for support
2. a commuter who uses public transportation