as in parasite
a person who is supported by or seeks support from another without making an adequate return
almost overnight, the singer was a star, and almost overnight, he was surrounded by hangers-on who wanted something
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Recent Examples of hanger-on
The parade at Mar-a-Lago was a steady stream of corporate executives, wealthy elites and hangers-on, some vying for plum appointments and favors from the president-elect.
—
Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2025
The disaffected machismo of Nadie seemed to exhaust the man taunting haters and hangers-on.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025
The party guests—the artist-honorees and their partners, collectors, museum trustees, funders, and hangers-on—were clad in their finest evening attire, clinking champagne flutes and posing for pictures at a pre-dinner reception on The Shed’s fourth floor.
—Helen Holmes, ARTnews.com, 19 Nov. 2024
Unlike other, sycophantic portions of right-wing media, Kirk isn’t simply a hanger-on to the conservative elite.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2025
The disaffected machismo of Nadie seemed to exhaust the man taunting haters and hangers-on.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025
The party guests—the artist-honorees and their partners, collectors, museum trustees, funders, and hangers-on—were clad in their finest evening attire, clinking champagne flutes and posing for pictures at a pre-dinner reception on The Shed’s fourth floor.
—Helen Holmes, ARTnews.com, 19 Nov. 2024
Unlike other, sycophantic portions of right-wing media, Kirk isn’t simply a hanger-on to the conservative elite.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hanger-on
Cite this Entry
“Hanger-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanger-on. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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