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View synonyms for

dangle

[dang-guhl]

verb (used without object)

dangled, dangling 
  1. to hang loosely, especially with a jerking or swaying motion.

    The rope dangled in the breeze.

    Synonyms: , ,
  2. to hang around or follow a person, as if seeking favor or attention.

  3. Grammar.to occur as a modifier without a head or as a participle without an implied subject, as leaving the tunnel in The daylight was blinding, leaving the tunnel.



verb (used with object)

dangled, dangling 
  1. to cause to dangle; hold or carry swaying loosely.

  2. to offer as an inducement.

noun

  1. the act of dangling.

  2. something that dangles.

dangle

/ ˈæŋɡə /

verb

  1. to hang or cause to hang freely

    his legs dangled over the wall

  2. (tr) to display as an enticement

    the hope of a legacy was dangled before her

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act of dangling or something that dangles

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • dangler noun
  • danglingly adverb
  • ˈ岹Բ noun
  • ˈ岹ԲԲ adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of dangle1

1580–90; expressive word akin to Norwegian, Swedish dangla, Danish dangle dangle
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Word History and Origins

Origin of dangle1

C16: perhaps from Danish dangle, probably of imitative origin
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. keep someone dangling, to keep someone in a state of uncertainty.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A massive glass chandelier dangles from the ceiling.

From

A purple sweater dangled on a branch of a jacaranda tree.

From

The sequence, in which Tom Cruise dangles from the ceiling of a stark white vault room to infiltrate the computer system overseen by Saxon’s character, is now the stuff of action-cinema history.

From

Red with large flares at her hips and ankles, she resembled the vintage biplane Cruise dangles from in the film.

From

Since taking office in January, Trump has dangled the prospect of tariffs on Mexican imports to win cooperation on issues including immigration and security.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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dangerous offenderdangleberry