Phrasal verb
hang about
Definition
phrasal verb. to stay in a place for a while without a clear reason or purpose. You use this when you are waiting for someone or just passing time.
phrasal verb. to remain in a location without specific purpose or activity; often carries a connotation of loitering or idle waiting.
Examples
“Don't hang about after the movie ends.”
“The teenagers like to hang about the shopping mall on Saturday afternoons.”
“While the detectives were waiting for the suspect to emerge, they tried not to hang about too conspicuously near the entrance.”
Examples
simple
“Don't hang about after the movie ends.”
contextual
“The teenagers like to hang about the shopping mall on Saturday afternoons.”
complex
“While the detectives were waiting for the suspect to emerge, they tried not to hang about too conspicuously near the entrance.”
Usage
often used in the imperative to tell someone to hurry up or stop wasting time.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'hang out' (socializing by choice) and 'loiter' (more formal/legal); 'hang about' is particularly common in British English.
Pitfall
They were hanging about of the station.
They were hanging about the station.
the phrase does not require a preposition like 'of' before the location.
Phrasal verb
Particles
about
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
hang + about (+ object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hang-about