Idioms for hang

Origin of hang

before 900; fusion of 3 verbs: (1) Middle English, Old English hōn to hang (transitive), cognate with Gothic hāhan, orig. *haghan; (2) Middle English hang(i)en, Old English hangian to hang (intransitive), cognate with German hangen; (3) Middle English henge < Old Norse hengja (transitive), cognate with German hängen to hang

synonym study for hang

4. Hang, lynch have in common the meaning of “to put to death,” but lynching is not always by hanging. Hang, in the sense of execute, is in accordance with a legal sentence, the method of execution being to suspend by the neck until dead. To lynch, however, implies the summary putting to death, by any method, of someone charged with a flagrant offense (though guilt may not have been proved). Lynching is done by private persons, usually a mob, without legal authority. 26. depend, rely, rest, hinge.

usage note for hang

Hang has two forms for the past tense and past participle, hanged and hung. The historically older form hanged is now used exclusively in the sense of causing or putting to death: He was sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead. In the sense of legal execution, hung is also quite common and is standard in all types of speech and writing except in legal documents. When legal execution is not meant, hung has become the more frequent form: The prisoner hung himself in his cell.

OTHER WORDS FROM hang

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH hang

hang lynch (see synonym study at the current entry) hanged hung (see usage note at the current entry)

British Dictionary definitions for hang tough

hang
/ (hæŋ) /

verb hangs, hanging or hung (hʌŋ)

noun

Word Origin for hang

Old English hangian; related to Old Norse hanga, Old High German hangēn

Idioms and Phrases with hang tough

hang tough

Remain firmly resolved, as in We're going to hang tough on this point and not give in. This slangy idiom uses tough in the sense of “aggressively unyielding,” a usage dating from the first half of the 1900s.