hanging about

verb

present participle of hang about, British
1
as in hanging (around or out)
to spend time doing nothing a tea house near campus where many university students could be seen hanging about

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in playing
to spend time in aimless activity we'll be hanging about at the pub if you need us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hanging about President James Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, died by hanging about five months after he was convicted of murder. — USA Today, 17 June 2026 Orion Nebula Those viewing from a dark sky location may also notice a blurry patch of light hanging about 5 degrees below Orion's belt. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025 The student was found hanging about 50 feet up in a tree with the open chute, Metro Nashville Police Department said on X Saturday. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025 In 2019, city employees began hanging about 500 trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets in the trees on Main Street every October. — Elliott Harrell, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanging about
  1. kicking back
  2. playing
  3. kicking around
  4. fooling around
  5. lounging
  6. messing around
  7. resting
  8. chilling
Verb
  • Maybe that means kicking back by the pool with a refreshing summer drink in hand or treating yourself to a creative spin on a classic hot dog from one of these five Atlanta spots.
    — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 4 July 2026
  • Here’s an outdoor lounge chair that naturally supports kicking back with a matching ottoman.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 27 June 2026
Definition of kicking back
Verb
  • That’s because he wasn’t supposed to be playing in the game at one point.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
  • Rogers isn’t the only former Giant currently playing for the Blue Jays.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of playing
Verb
  • Some of the finer moments for Nemes in the studio were during rehearsals, when the band was just kicking around ideas and jamming.
    — Tina Eves, SPIN, 1 July 2026
  • All told, it’s been a pretty spectacular and drama-free rollout for an idea that had been kicking around Hollywood for over 15 years.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Definition of kicking around
Verb
  • Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.
    — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of fooling around
Verb
  • On property, guests can enjoy lounging on Adirondack chairs around the firepits, playing games of cornhole or backgammon, or simply enjoying the inn's common spaces and reading nooks.
    — Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026
  • Many people stayed outside in the street, lounging under the shade of trees because the city had shut down.
    — NASSER KARIMI, Arkansas Online, 5 July 2026
Definition of lounging
Verb
  • Kylian liked messing around, having a laugh and telling jokes — just like the rest of us.
    — Tom Williams, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • All of our memories are traveling the world, messing around, having fun, and being teenagers.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026
Definition of messing around
Verb
  • Testimony in the criminal trial of Johnson County Sheriff Adam King wrapped up its second week with prosecutors resting their case against him.
    — Star-Telegram staff. Produced with AI assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 July 2026
  • Research shows that quality sleep and regular exercise both can benefit heart rate variability as well as resting heart rate in healthy adults.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of resting
Verb
  • These can be made into a wafer shape as well by shaping the dough into logs and chilling it before making 1/4-inch-thick slices.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
  • Ten days after Guthrie was reported missing, the FBI released chilling doorbell camera images of an armed and masked man outside her home on the morning of her disappearance.
    — Adela Suliman, NBC news, 2 July 2026
Definition of chilling

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Cite this Entry

“Hanging about.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanging%20about. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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