# hang about

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hang-about
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They were hanging about of the station." but "They were hanging about the station." — the phrase does not require a preposition like 'of' before the location.

## Usage notes

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.