ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hung

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈhəŋ// UK //hˈʌŋ// hung Informal

v. to attach something to a high place so it does not touch the ground. This is the past tense form of 'hang' when you talk about pictures, clothes, or objects.

v. the past tense and past participle of 'hang' when used to mean suspending an object from above. In computing, it refers to a system becoming unresponsive.


SIMPLE

She hung her coat on the hook by the door.

CONTEXTUAL

The gallery owner hung the new paintings yesterday to prepare for the weekend exhibition.

COMPLEX

The computer system hung during the final stage of the update, forcing the technician to perform a hard reset to recover the lost data.

Synonyms
Usage

Used as the past tense for objects; 'hanged' is reserved specifically for execution by rope.

Pitfall

The prisoner was hung at dawn.The prisoner was hanged at dawn.Use 'hanged' for capital punishment; use 'hung' for all other meanings of suspending an object.

Idioms1 entry

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