verb
dangle
DANG-guhl
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 notesIn 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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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."