hanger-on
9
6.8
- noun
- /ˈhæŋər ɑn/
:
aprovechado
- At the party, she noticed several hangers-on lingering near the famous musicians, hoping to gain their attention.
We go to his room and it's full of guys, hangers on, wannabes.
- We go to his room and it's full of guys, hangers on, wannabes.
- They all talk to these like, like Trump consultants, Trump hangers on.
Examples
-
Apart from your own degraded band of hangers-on, does not the alarm of the people have any effect upon you?
-
"I was a junior hanger-on of the expatriates in Montparnasse," he observed.
Academic text (1997) -
As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time.
Blog text (9) -
But the rest of them are mostly hangers-on.
-
The dressing room is crowded with friends and hangers-on.
Fiction book (1990) -
For the rich and powerful (and their wannabe hangers-on), Paul Ryan is their hero.
Blog text (5) -
You're just a hanger-on.
-
Two hundred future boat passengers, porters, and assorted hangers-on were packed on the jetty.
Fiction book (1993) -
Colombo arrived at Columbus Circle about 11:30 a.m., accompanied by bodyguards, police, and the usual crowd of hangers-on.
Academic text (2016) -
A motley assortment of hillbilly hangers-on party in the dimly lit living room.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
8
7.0
A person who tries to move up by getting close to powerful people
5
7.7
A person who praises someone in power to get an advantage
2
8.2
A person who keeps following others and annoys them
1
8.2
A person who depends on others without giving anything back
A person who praises people in charge to get things they want
A person who praises a boss to get a favor
A person who tries to gain someone's favor for personal advantage
Antonyms
How Obsequious
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Hanger-on comes from the simple idea of hang on, which means 'to stay close' or 'not let go'. So a hanger-on is someone who sticks close to another person to get advantage or attention, often in an annoying or unwelcome way.