1 B1 neutral
To remain in a place after others have moved on or left.
"After the lecture ended, a few students hung behind to ask the professor questions."
hang behind
B1 neutral intransitive
To remain in a place after others have left, or to move more slowly than a group.
In plain English
To stay in a place after everyone else has left, or to not keep up with a group.
What does "hang behind" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To move or act more slowly than the rest of a group.
"On the hike, the youngest children tended to hang behind and needed encouragement."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To remain hanging (staying) behind others.
Actually means
To stay in a place after everyone else has left, or to not keep up with a group.
Usage tip
Less common than 'hang back' or 'stay behind'. Mainly used in physical, spatial contexts — a person hanging behind as others move on. It is rarely used in the figurative sense that 'hang back' can be.
Words that pair with "hang behind"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
group class crowd minute moment
How to conjugate "hang behind"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hang behind
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hangs behind
he/she/it
Past simple
hung behind
yesterday
Past participle
hung behind
have + pp
-ing form
hanging behind
continuous
Hear "hang behind" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hang behind" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "hang behind"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.