Hang on means to wait (Hang on a minute!) or to hold on: to grip something tightly or to keep going in a difficult situation. As a request, Hang on sounds informal: people say it to friends, colleagues or on the phone. When you hold on to an object, hang on is followed by to: hang on to the rail.
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hang on (a second/minute); hang on to + thing/person; hang on until + event
- Hang on a second, I'll just save this file and then we can go.
- The path down the hill was icy, so I hung on to my friend's arm.
- Our small shop had a hard first year, but we hung on until business improved.
What changed
First versionHang up a second, I need to find a pen.
RevisionHang on a second, I need to find a pen.
Hang up and hang on differ by one small word, but their meanings are opposite. Hang up means to end a phone call, so the other person will hear a request to finish the conversation. To ask someone to wait, use hang on: Hang on a second.
Hang on is almost the same as hold on: Hang on a minute and Hold on a minute mean the same thing, and you can hang on to or hold on to a rail. The difference is in another meaning: hang on something means to depend on something, and hold on has no such meaning: My promotion hangs on this project.
Your turn
The climber's hands were numb, but she ___ to the rope until the rescuers reached her.
Show the answer
hung on — The climber was holding on to the rope, and the past form of hang in this meaning is hung: hung on. Hanged is used only about execution by hanging; here someone is simply holding on tight.
Describe a ride on public transport or at a funfair when you had to hold on tight. Say what you held on to and why.
On the crowded tram this morning, I hung on to the handrail because the driver kept braking suddenly.
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