Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to hang fire

to hang fire

1 8.0
To delay making a decision or taking action
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : posponer
  • We're just going to hang fire and see what happens.

Examples

  • On all three networks, the quilt spread bright red in the heartland, but CNN called Michigan for Obama, even as Ohio, a similar rust-belt auto state, was technically hanging fire.

    Blog text (4)

  • Let's hang fire for a while before we make any decisions about the project.

  • The committee decided to hang fire until they received further information from the experts.

  • Before rushing into a conclusion, it's wise to hang fire and consider all options.

Synonyms

to stall
vsto hang fire
166 4.3

To delay doing something on purpose to get more time

is a general pause and may not aim to buy extra time
to hang on
vsto hang fire
  • Informal
111 3.4

To wait a short time or keep going through a hard time

usually means brief or endurance waiting not long postponements
to wait on
vsto hang fire
  • US
83 3.9

To delay doing something until someone answers or a situation changes

may delay independently rather than waiting for an outside trigger
to hold off
vsto hang fire
78 3.8

To wait before doing something

is the same meaning expressed by a different phrase
to hold fire
vsto hang fire
47 5.6

To stop shooting or attacking and wait before taking action

is the general notion of delaying action rather than a combat order
to hold off on
vsto hang fire
37 4.2

To wait before doing something

also covers delaying decisions as well as actions
to sit on
vsto hang fire
34 4.2

Delay making a decision about something while thinking about it

does the same but can also refer to action delays
to hang tight
vsto hang fire
  • Informal
22 7.4

Wait patiently and stay calm during a delay

focuses on postponing choices or actions rather than calm patience
to hold back
vsto hang fire
16 3.5

Wait before doing something because you feel unsure

is a plain postponement that may lack any uncertainty
to stall for time
vsto hang fire
  • Informal
6 4.8

To delay doing something to get more time

can mean any postponement not only ones used to gain time
to put on the back burner
vsto hang fire
1 5.6

To delay dealing with something until later and make it less important

can delay without implying lowered priority or later attention
to hangfire
vsto hang fire
9.9

To wait before acting and risk losing a chance

simply delays action or decision without implying missed chances
to sit on a decision
vsto hang fire
4.2

Delay making a decision by waiting instead of choosing

may delay action or decision without stressing a deliberate pause

Antonyms

to decide
∞ 1.0

To make a choice after thinking about the options

to act
∞ 1.0

Take action to deal with a problem or situation

How Long

to drag one's feet
  • Informal
5.5
to hang fire
  • Informal
1 8.0
to stall
166 4.3
to hesitate
318 2.5
to pause
346 1.0

Surface Forms

hang fire infinitive
hanging fire present participle
hang fires third person singular
hung fire past
hung fire past participle

Morphology

hang + fire

The meaning 'to delay or postpone' is not transparently built from 'hang' (to persist or linger) plus 'fire' (shooting/flame); a B1 learner knowing the parts would not reliably infer this sense. The expression derives from firearms jargon (a gun that fails to fire immediately), so its idiomatic historical sense is unpredictable and language-specific.

Etymology

Hang fire may come from old guns where the fire seemed to hang for a moment after the trigger was pulled, so the shot did not happen right away. Because the gun did not fire at once, Hang fire came to mean 'to delay' or 'to wait before acting'.