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Glite Dictionary
to hang low

to hang low

3 4.4
To be lower than usual or to seem sad
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : estar bajo
  • So Dora left with her hair head hanging low and I went up and said, Dora, let's go talk to the Padre and senor.
  • sun hung low
  • clouds hanging low
  • sky hung low

So Dora left with her hair head hanging low and I went up and said, Dora, let's go talk to the Padre and senor.

Examples

  • Standing in the rain, with his head hung low

    Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

  • The sky had an after-rain glow, and the sun hung low and large over the lake.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • His head, in a greasy cap, hung low, and the rest of his figure looked hunched over.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • After losing the match, the players walked off the field with their heads hang low in disappointment.

  • Feeling defeated, she sat on the bench with her shoulders slumped and her head hang low as the others celebrated.

  • When he received the bad news, his expression changed, and he couldn't help but hang low for a while.

Synonyms

to sink
vsto hang low
358 1.0

To move down physically or emotionally, often when tired

describes being at a lower position rather than moving down
to droop
vsto hang low
22 3.9

To bend down and hang limply because of being tired or without water

is a general lower position or sadness, not necessarily limp or weak
to feel down
vsto hang low
15 3.0

Be sad or unhappy

also can mean lowered physical position, not only an emotional state
sagging
vsto hang low
1 4.1

Hanging down loosely because it is weak or damaged

covers lowered position or sadness, not focused on loose or weakened form
drooping
vsto hang low
3.5

Hanging down because it is weak or not held up

can describe lowered height or sadness, not only a downward physical bend
to sag down
vsto hang low
3.7

To hang lower because of weight or loss of support

is about being lower in height or mood, not only moving down from weight

Antonyms

raised
1.0

Higher than the surrounding surface or area

uplifted
3.9

Feeling happy and proud because something made you feel better

How Low

to sag
19 2.8
to hang low
3 4.4
to droop
22 3.9

Surface Forms

hang low infinitive
hanging low present participle
hangs low third person singular
hung low past
hung low past participle

Morphology

hang + low

The literal spatial sense (‘be positioned at a lower height’) is directly and transparently derived from 'hang' (to be suspended) + 'low' (at a low level), so learners who know both words will readily infer that meaning. The figurative sense ('to feel or appear sad') is partially inferable because 'low' can mean downcast, but this extension is metaphorical and not fully predictable without exposure, so overall the item is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Hang low comes from the image of something hanging down, like a heavy branch after rain, where hang means to hang and low means near the ground. That's why the phrase describes things that are physically 'near the ground' and people who look or feel 'sad' or 'down'.