dangled; dangling
ˈdaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ
1
: to hang loosely and usually so as to be able to swing freely
2
: to be a hanger-on or a dependent
3
: to occur in a sentence without having a normally expected syntactic relation to the rest of the sentence (such as climbing in "Climbing the mountain the cabin came into view")
a dangling participle
a dangling modifier
1
: to cause to dangle : swing
dangled her feet in the water
2
a
: to keep hanging uncertainly
b
: to hold out as an inducement
dan·gler
ˈdaŋ-g(ə-)lər
plural -s
: one that dangles
ear clips, some with diamond danglers—New Yorker
especially
: a person who dangles about or after a woman
Cite this Entry
“Dangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dangle. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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