# hanged

/ˈhæŋd/ (US) · /hˈæŋd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hanged
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. execution

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to be killed by a rope around the neck as a legal punishment.

For teachers: to be executed by suspension from the neck. This specific form is used exclusively for the death penalty or suicide, whereas 'hung' is used for objects.

- In the past, people were hanged for crimes that we now consider minor.
- The judge decreed that the conspirators be hanged by the neck until dead, a sentence that was carried out the following Monday morning.

Usage: Always used in the passive voice when referring to a legal execution.

### 2. damned

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal · Humorous · British English

used to show you are very annoyed or to say 'no' very strongly.

For teachers: used as a mild, somewhat old-fashioned intensifier to express annoyance or a vehement refusal.

- I'll be hanged if I'm going to pay that much for a cup of coffee.
- He declared he would be hanged before he ever set foot in that wretched establishment again.

Teaching tip: This is a fixed idiomatic expression, usually 'I'll be hanged if...'. It is not literal and is used for dramatic effect.

## Examples

- The prisoner was hanged at dawn.
- The judge ordered that the thief be hanged for his crimes.
- In the nineteenth century, public executions were common, and crowds would gather to watch the condemned man be hanged from the gallows.

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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.