Phrase guide

hang up

verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To put up to hang.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I hung up my wash on the line.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To terminate a telephone call, originally by hanging the receiver on its hook or cradle thereby automatically disconnecting the line.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, intransitive

Examples

  • When my mother started telling me to be careful over the phone, I threatened to hang up on her.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ring off

Antonyms: pick up the phone

3

verb

Meaning 3

To stop talking.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To keep delayed, suspended, held up, or stuck.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To rob or mug (someone).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To arrest (someone); to send (someone) to prison.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To quit (something); to give up or stop doing (something); to abandon (something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He hung up the flute after college.
  • I think it's time to hang it up.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To distress, disadvantage or harm (someone).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

interrupt a telephone conversation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cut short, break short, break off

10

verb

Meaning 10

put a telephone receiver back in its cradle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: replace, put back

11

verb

Meaning 11

cause to be hanging or suspended

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Hang that picture on the wall

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hang

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fasten, fix, secure

Narrower terms: suspend, sling

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

84 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Ainu: アッテ (atte) — put up to hang
  • Arabic: عَلَّقَ (ʕallaqa) — put up to hang
  • Asturian: colgar — put up to hang
  • Catalan: penjar — put up to hang
  • Cherokee: ᎬᏙᏌᏗᎠ (gvdosadia) — put up to hang
  • Chinese Mandarin: 掛 /挂 (guà) — put up to hang
  • Czech: pověsit — put up to hang
  • Finnish: ripustaa — put up to hang
  • French: suspendre — put up to hang
  • Galician: colgar — put up to hang
  • Georgian: ჩამოკიდება (čamoḳideba) — put up to hang
  • German: aufhängen — put up to hang
  • Hungarian: felakaszt — put up to hang
  • Icelandic: hengja — put up to hang
  • Ido: pendar — put up to hang
  • Ingrian: ripustaa — put up to hang
  • Ingrian: löövvä — put up to hang
  • Italian: appendere — put up to hang
  • Japanese: 掛ける (kakeru) — put up to hang
  • Latin: suspendō — put up to hang
  • Māori: houtāwere — put up to hang
  • Māori: whakahīweka — put up to hang
  • Māori: whakairi — put up to hang
  • Māori: whakatārawa — put up to hang
  • Norwegian: la på røret — put up to hang
  • Norwegian: legge på — put up to hang
  • Portuguese: pendurar — put up to hang
  • Romanian: agăța — put up to hang
  • Romanian: atârna — put up to hang
  • Russian: ве́шать (véšatʹ) — put up to hang
  • Russian: пове́сить (povésitʹ) — put up to hang
  • Spanish: colgar — put up to hang
  • Swedish: hänga upp — put up to hang
  • Turkish: asmak — put up to hang
  • Ottoman Turkish: آصمق (asmak) — put up to hang
  • Arabic: أَغْلَقَ الْخَطّ (ʔaḡlaqa al-ḵaṭṭ) — terminate a phone call
  • Asturian: colgar — terminate a phone call
  • Bulgarian: затварям телефона (zatvarjam telefona) — terminate a phone call
  • Catalan: penjar — terminate a phone call
  • Chinese Cantonese: 掛斷 /挂断 (gwaa3 tyun5) — terminate a phone call
  • Chinese Cantonese: cut線 /cut线 (kat1 sin3) — terminate a phone call
  • Chinese Mandarin: 掛斷 /挂断 (guàduàn) — terminate a phone call
  • Chinese Mandarin: 挂断 (guàduàn) — terminate a phone call
  • Czech: zavěsit — terminate a phone call
  • Faroese: leggja á — terminate a phone call
  • Finnish: katkaista — terminate a phone call
  • Finnish: sulkea puhelin — terminate a phone call
  • Finnish: lopettaa puhelu — terminate a phone call
  • Finnish: katkaista puhelu — terminate a phone call
  • French: raccrocher — terminate a phone call
  • French: raccrocher au nez — terminate a phone call
  • Galician: colgar — terminate a phone call
  • German: auflegen — terminate a phone call
  • Gujarati: મૂકી દેવું (mūkī devũ) — terminate a phone call
  • Hungarian: letesz — terminate a phone call
  • Hungarian: kinyom — terminate a phone call
  • Icelandic: leggja á — terminate a phone call
  • Icelandic: skella á — terminate a phone call
  • Italian: riagganciare — terminate a phone call
  • Italian: riattaccare — terminate a phone call
  • Japanese: 電話を切る (denwa o kiru) — terminate a phone call
  • Korean: 전화를 끊다 (jeonhwareul kkeunta) — terminate a phone call
  • Luxembourgish: anhänken — terminate a phone call
  • Persian: قطع کردن (ġat' kardan) — terminate a phone call
  • Polish: odkładać impf słuchawkę — terminate a phone call
  • Polish: odłożyć pf słuchawkę — terminate a phone call
  • Portuguese: desligar — terminate a phone call
  • Romanian: închide — terminate a phone call
  • Russian: класть тру́бку (klastʹ trúbku) — terminate a phone call
  • Russian: положи́ть тру́бку (položítʹ trúbku) — terminate a phone call
  • Russian: ве́шать тру́бку (véšatʹ trúbku) — terminate a phone call
  • Russian: пове́сить тру́бку (povésitʹ trúbku) — terminate a phone call
  • Spanish: colgar — terminate a phone call
  • Spanish: cortar — terminate a phone call
  • Swahili: -kata simu — terminate a phone call
  • Swedish: lägga på — terminate a phone call
  • Turkish: kapatmak — terminate a phone call
  • Vietnamese: cúp máy — terminate a phone call
  • Finnish: vaivata — emotionally trouble
  • Italian: tenere in sospeso — emotionally trouble
  • Italian: tenere in attesa — emotionally trouble
  • Italian: tenere sulle spine — emotionally trouble
  • Italian: rimuginare — emotionally trouble
  • Japanese: 弱らせる — emotionally trouble