hang·out
ˈhaŋ-ˌau̇t 
: a favorite place for spending time
also
: a place frequented for entertainment or for socializing
hung out; hanging out; hangs out
1
intransitive
: to protrude and droop
a dog with its tongue hanging out
2
intransitive
informal
: to spend time idly or in relaxing or socializing
just hanging out by the pool
My mother told me not to hang out in bars because the sort of people I would meet there were the sort of people who hang out in bars.—
Calvin Trillin
Calvin TrillinTraditionally, most owners [of sports teams] are rich egomaniacs eager to hang out with athletes and get their names in the paper.—George Vecsey
George Vecsey3
transitive
: to display (something) outside as an announcement to the public
hang out a sign/banner
—used chiefly in the phrase hang out a/one's shingle in the figurative sense "to start a business, begin working professionally"
Publishing was not as complicated a business … when young Alfred Knopf hung out his shingle nearly 70 years ago.—John F. Baker
John F. BakerBack then big L.A. law firms rarely hired Jews … . So Sterling hung out a shingle in Boyle Heights and became a tireless advocate for his old neighbors, handling everything from divorces to personal injury cases.—Franz Lidz
Franz LidzExamples of hangout in a Sentence
Noun
The park was their favorite hangout.
a favorite hangout of senior citizens is the local community center
Recent Examples on the Web
Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025
Into every generation, a hangout sitcom is born — light on plot, and heavy on the chemistry of a group of young adults spending way too much time together in the big city.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 3 June 2025
The devices were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of them, the FBI said.
—Colleen Slevin, Arkansas Online, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hangout
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Noun
The eclectic blend of architectural styles that fill up Mexico City's Roma Norte neighborhood, along with its buzzy nightlife, art galleries, and bohemian coffee shops, has transformed it into one of the city's most beloved hangout areas, outside of the Centro Histórico.
—Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025
Into every generation, a hangout sitcom is born — light on plot, and heavy on the chemistry of a group of young adults spending way too much time together in the big city.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Verb
Even last week in the Berkshires, the shorts were shorter than short and everything is hanging out in the wrong places.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 3 June 2025
The devices were made up of glass wine carafe bottles or jars with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of them, the FBI said.
—Colleen Slevin, Arkansas Online, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hangout
Cite this Entry
“Hangout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hangout. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
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hangout
noun
hang·out
ˈhaŋ-ˌau̇t
: a favorite place for spending time
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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