hang about
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle about
Meanings
Spend time waiting or loitering somewhere
Why “about”? Movement has no clear target. It goes in many places, not to one set point.
“Teenagers hang about the park.”
“Don't hang about outside the shop.”
Don't confuse with
Hang about means spend time waiting or loitering somewhere. Hang around means stay nearby without a purpose.
Test yourself
“Teenagers hang about the park.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
hang around
A contrast learners often mix up
Stay nearby without a purpose; Stay in a place without doing much; Spend time with a person or group regularly
fool about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Behave foolishly or waste time
fuss about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Move or worry busily without much purpose
get about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Move around or travel in general
knock about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Travel or move around in various places
lie about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Be left untidily in various places; Tell untruths concerning a subject
loaf about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Spend time idly without doing anything productive
mess about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Spend time idly or playfully without serious purpose
Practice “hang about” in Sink In
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