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to dangle from

to dangle from

18 3.2
To hang loosely so that something swings from a support
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈdæŋɡəl frʌm/
translation icon : colgar de
  • Delia sits in the passenger seat, cleaning her sunglasses, which dangle from a shocking-pink cord around her neck.

Every night I try to go on my evening walk and I always see the same all white cat with what looks like a small camera dangling from his neck.

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Examples

  • There, too close to it, dangling from the wooden decking, was a small boy.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The children watched the balloons dangle from the tree branches on a windy day.

  • A large metal ball at the end of a rod dangles from the center.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Is that your son dangling from that telephone pole?

  • Every night I try to go on my evening walk and I always see the same all white cat with what looks like a small camera dangling from his neck.

  • No note, no money, nothing but the car with the keys dangling from the ignition.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Parker and Jeanette looked down at Bonnie, who was now dangling from Parker's arm.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Jacob's hand enters the frame, thumb sticking out, his mother's bracelet dangling from his wrist.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The child wears a knit hat, and the puffy tassels dangling from his earflaps sway each time he coughs.

    Academic text (2007)
  • A pair of shoes was dangle from the power line as we drove by.

Synonyms

to hang
vsto dangle from
1.0

To attach something from above so it stays up

stresses loose, moving attachment rather than merely being held up
to swing
vsto dangle from
408 1.0

Move back and forth while hanging from one point

describes the loose hanging position that often involves such movement
to dangle
vsto dangle from
135 2.3

Hang loosely so it can move or swing

emphasizes loose movement while attached to a support
to suspend
vsto dangle from
64 3.5

To hang something so it can move or swing

is less formal and focuses on loose movement while attached
to pend
vsto dangle from
  • Archaic
1 8.4

To hang down from above so it moves freely

is the common phrase stressing loose movement from a support

Antonyms

16 3.9

To take something off from what it is connected to

How Loose

to swing
408 1.0
to suspend
64 3.5
to dangle from
18 3.2
to secure
347 3.3

Surface Forms

dangle from infinitive
dangled from past participle
dangling from present participle
dangles from third person singular

Morphology

dangle + from

The meaning 'to hang or swing loosely from a support' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'dangle' (to hang down loosely) with the preposition 'from' (indicating origin/attachment). This is a literal compositional pattern common across languages and follows standard English verb + preposition semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should readily understand it.

Etymology

Dangle from comes from the clear picture of something hanging by one point and swinging gently, like a light dangling from a ceiling. So, it means 'to hang or swing loosely from a support'.