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verb

dangle

DANG-guhl

Dangle (verb) means to hang loosely, swinging freely. Example: “Her earrings dangled as she shook her head.”

verb
1
To hang loosely, swinging freely.
"Her earrings dangled as she shook her head."
"His legs dangled off the edge of the dock."
2
To offer something as an enticing possibility.
"The company dangled a big bonus to keep her from quitting."

How to use dangle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo hang loosely and swing, or to tempt someone with something.

Common pairings
dangle from dangle a carrot legs dangling

Word forms

dangled past tense, dangles plural, dangles singular

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Test yourself on “dangle” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Her earrings _____ as she shook her head.

Etymology

Likely of North Germanic origin, related to Danish dingle and Swedish dangla, both meaning "to swing about."

Origin: Germanic

Related words

Rhymes for dangle

See all rhymes for dangle →

Frequently asked questions

What does “dangle” mean?

The word “dangle” means to hang loosely, swinging freely. In plain terms, to hang loosely and swing, or to tempt someone with something.

How do you pronounce “dangle”?

“Dangle” is pronounced DANG-guhl (/ˈdæŋ.ɡəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “dangle” in a sentence?

Here is “dangle” used in a sentence: “Her earrings dangled as she shook her head.”

What part of speech is “dangle”?

“Dangle” is a verb.

Where does the word “dangle” come from?

The word “dangle” comes from Germanic. Likely of North Germanic origin, related to Danish dingle and Swedish dangla, both meaning "to swing about.".

How many meanings does “dangle” have?

“Dangle” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to hang loosely, swinging freely.

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