"hang tight" meaning in English

See hang tight in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: hangs tight [present, singular, third-person], hanging tight [participle, present], hung tight [participle, past], hung tight [past]
Etymology: From hang + tight, possibly in part from a blend of hang on + hold tight. Etymology templates: {{af|en|hang|tight|nocat=1}} hang + tight, {{blend|en|hang on|hold tight|nocap=1}} blend of hang on + hold tight Head templates: {{en-verb|hang<,,hung> tight}} hang tight (third-person singular simple present hangs tight, present participle hanging tight, simple past and past participle hung tight)
  1. (informal, chiefly imperative) To wait, without attempting to address a challenging, alarming, or dangerous situation, until a later point in time. Tags: imperative, informal
    Sense id: en-hang_tight-en-verb-m3k4DPN0 Categories (other): English blends, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English blends: 73 27 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 97 3
  2. To grasp tightly. Related terms: hang loose
    Sense id: en-hang_tight-en-verb-NHhUJ4gs

Download JSON data for hang tight meaning in English (5.4kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hang",
        "3": "tight",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "hang + tight",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hang on",
        "3": "hold tight",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "blend of hang on + hold tight",
      "name": "blend"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From hang + tight, possibly in part from a blend of hang on + hold tight.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "hangs tight",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hanging tight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hung tight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hung tight",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "hang<,,hung> tight"
      },
      "expansion": "hang tight (third-person singular simple present hangs tight, present participle hanging tight, simple past and past participle hung tight)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "73 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English blends",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "97 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2003, Avery Cardoza, Winning Casino Play, page 198",
          "text": "And should a really large payoff be hit, a jackpot, the machines will make a bunch of noise, a light may go off atop the machine and you just hang tight, a casino employee should be there soon to give you the payoff.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Karen Smith, Desert Rose, page 540",
          "text": "The day before I was supposed to fly out I called my friend Mike back home and explained what was happening and he told me to hang tight while he tried to figure out what to do, he knew his friend Phil who was an Ex Marine who once served under Mikes command, was working out here and luckily for me he was based on VBC, so he asked him for a favour, to hide me until he felt it was safe to fly me out, Mike then called me back and gave me Phil's number, and that he was expecting my call when I arrive on Victory.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011, Linda Castillo, Operation: Midnight Cowboy",
          "text": "I'll call you back when I've got someone in the air. I'll need your coordinates at that time. In the interim, you're going to have to hang tight, buddy.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, David Baldacci ·, The Innocent",
          "text": "“Hang tight.” He heard the feet running away again. Robie looked down at Julie and back over at the window. He wasn't hanging tight. He pulled out his phone, thumbed Vance's number.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Ben Muse, Killing Chase",
          "text": "Hang tight, Mr. Hampton. Let me run you through the system, write your ticket, and we'll have you on your way soon.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Renaldo Martin, Sins Beneath the Cloth, page 190",
          "text": "I'm gonna call Captain Doby and talk to him about your situation. In the meantime, you guys just hang tight until we get back with you.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019, Ronan Farrow, Catch and Kill",
          "text": "“Noah, if you want more, I need to be able to go out and get it.” “I know, I know,” he said. “I'm just saying hang tight till Monday.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Elizabeth Foutch, City of Chaos and Mayhem, page 165",
          "text": "“Okay mom, you need to hang tight and we need to figure out a plan. Don't do anything yet. We are on our way.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Anneli Lort, Flowers in Bloom",
          "text": "“For now, just hang tight.” “Hang tight?” Hattie cried. “My baby girl is in danger and you're telling us to hang tight?”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To wait, without attempting to address a challenging, alarming, or dangerous situation, until a later point in time."
      ],
      "id": "en-hang_tight-en-verb-m3k4DPN0",
      "links": [
        [
          "wait",
          "wait"
        ],
        [
          "challenging",
          "challenging"
        ],
        [
          "alarming",
          "alarming"
        ],
        [
          "dangerous",
          "dangerous"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, chiefly imperative) To wait, without attempting to address a challenging, alarming, or dangerous situation, until a later point in time."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012, S. P. Foster, Phoenix on the Run, page 97",
          "text": "Well, ya better hang tight cause when these boys take off yull be in fer the ride ofa lifetime.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016, Monica La Porta, The Fifth Moon's Wolf",
          "text": "Then Lobo whispered to Mirella, “Hang tight,” and propelled the airbike forward, taking off with a loud roar of the engines. She didn't need to hang tight though because he crossed one arm over her chest and pressed her to him.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019, Frank Hamilton Cushing, Zuñi Folk Tales",
          "text": "\"Hang tight, my friends! Hang tight! Hang tight!” said he, when, suddenly, one near the top, in the agitation of the moment, began to sneeze, lost his hold, and down the whole string, hundreds of them, fell, and were completely flattened out among the rocks.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Valerie Keogh, The Lies He Told: A Gripping Psychological Suspense",
          "text": "I was hanging tight to what was left of my sanity.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To grasp tightly."
      ],
      "id": "en-hang_tight-en-verb-NHhUJ4gs",
      "links": [
        [
          "grasp",
          "grasp"
        ],
        [
          "tightly",
          "tightly"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "word": "hang loose"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "hang tight"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English blends",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hang",
        "3": "tight",
        "nocat": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "hang + tight",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hang on",
        "3": "hold tight",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "blend of hang on + hold tight",
      "name": "blend"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From hang + tight, possibly in part from a blend of hang on + hold tight.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "hangs tight",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hanging tight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hung tight",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "hung tight",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "hang<,,hung> tight"
      },
      "expansion": "hang tight (third-person singular simple present hangs tight, present participle hanging tight, simple past and past participle hung tight)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "hang loose"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2003, Avery Cardoza, Winning Casino Play, page 198",
          "text": "And should a really large payoff be hit, a jackpot, the machines will make a bunch of noise, a light may go off atop the machine and you just hang tight, a casino employee should be there soon to give you the payoff.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Karen Smith, Desert Rose, page 540",
          "text": "The day before I was supposed to fly out I called my friend Mike back home and explained what was happening and he told me to hang tight while he tried to figure out what to do, he knew his friend Phil who was an Ex Marine who once served under Mikes command, was working out here and luckily for me he was based on VBC, so he asked him for a favour, to hide me until he felt it was safe to fly me out, Mike then called me back and gave me Phil's number, and that he was expecting my call when I arrive on Victory.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011, Linda Castillo, Operation: Midnight Cowboy",
          "text": "I'll call you back when I've got someone in the air. I'll need your coordinates at that time. In the interim, you're going to have to hang tight, buddy.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012, David Baldacci ·, The Innocent",
          "text": "“Hang tight.” He heard the feet running away again. Robie looked down at Julie and back over at the window. He wasn't hanging tight. He pulled out his phone, thumbed Vance's number.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Ben Muse, Killing Chase",
          "text": "Hang tight, Mr. Hampton. Let me run you through the system, write your ticket, and we'll have you on your way soon.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Renaldo Martin, Sins Beneath the Cloth, page 190",
          "text": "I'm gonna call Captain Doby and talk to him about your situation. In the meantime, you guys just hang tight until we get back with you.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019, Ronan Farrow, Catch and Kill",
          "text": "“Noah, if you want more, I need to be able to go out and get it.” “I know, I know,” he said. “I'm just saying hang tight till Monday.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Elizabeth Foutch, City of Chaos and Mayhem, page 165",
          "text": "“Okay mom, you need to hang tight and we need to figure out a plan. Don't do anything yet. We are on our way.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Anneli Lort, Flowers in Bloom",
          "text": "“For now, just hang tight.” “Hang tight?” Hattie cried. “My baby girl is in danger and you're telling us to hang tight?”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To wait, without attempting to address a challenging, alarming, or dangerous situation, until a later point in time."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wait",
          "wait"
        ],
        [
          "challenging",
          "challenging"
        ],
        [
          "alarming",
          "alarming"
        ],
        [
          "dangerous",
          "dangerous"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, chiefly imperative) To wait, without attempting to address a challenging, alarming, or dangerous situation, until a later point in time."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "imperative",
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012, S. P. Foster, Phoenix on the Run, page 97",
          "text": "Well, ya better hang tight cause when these boys take off yull be in fer the ride ofa lifetime.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016, Monica La Porta, The Fifth Moon's Wolf",
          "text": "Then Lobo whispered to Mirella, “Hang tight,” and propelled the airbike forward, taking off with a loud roar of the engines. She didn't need to hang tight though because he crossed one arm over her chest and pressed her to him.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019, Frank Hamilton Cushing, Zuñi Folk Tales",
          "text": "\"Hang tight, my friends! Hang tight! Hang tight!” said he, when, suddenly, one near the top, in the agitation of the moment, began to sneeze, lost his hold, and down the whole string, hundreds of them, fell, and were completely flattened out among the rocks.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021, Valerie Keogh, The Lies He Told: A Gripping Psychological Suspense",
          "text": "I was hanging tight to what was left of my sanity.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To grasp tightly."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "grasp",
          "grasp"
        ],
        [
          "tightly",
          "tightly"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "hang tight"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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