hang on every word
To be completely attentive to what another person is saying.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The children hang on every word their teacher says.”
“The audience was so quiet because they hung on every word of the speaker's moving story.”
“As the professor explained the complex theory, the students sat in total silence, hanging on every word to ensure they understood the material.”
- 01
bad word
A vulgar word.
- 02
breathe a word
To divulge even part of a secret (usually used with a negative).
- 03
call someone every name in the book
To call someone many abusive names.
- 04
dicky
[Cockney slang]word
- 05
dirty word
The name of a topic that a person prefers not to hear or discuss.
- 06
empty words
Any type of talk with little meaning; a message that seems to contain meaningful content but is actually vapid.
- 07
every bit
Exactly, to its full degree
- 08
every inch
Totally, completely.
Last updated August 10, 2026