dangling
dangling — verb
- danglingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- danglings3rd person singular
- danglinging-ing form
- danglingedpast simple
1. to hang or swing freely in the air, often from above; or to hold an object so th
to hang or swing freely in the air, often from above; or to hold an object so that it swings freely.
A silver pendant was dangling from Ayana's neck as she danced.
intransitive: dangle from [something]
Esteban dangled the toy mouse above the kitten to make it jump.
transitive: dangle [object] above/over [target]
Two long ropes were dangling from the tree where the children had played.
Mei sat on the wall with her legs dangling over the edge of the pier.
Kian let the fishing line dangle in the water and waited for a bite.
文法句型
dangle from [something]
dangle [object] in front of/over [something]
用法筆記
Often used of small objects (keys, earrings, ropes) or body parts (legs, arms) hanging from a higher point. The subject of the intransitive use is the thing that hangs, not the person.
常見錯誤
2. to keep showing someone a reward or opportunity to make them want it and act in
to keep showing someone a reward or opportunity to make them want it and act in a certain way.
The manager dangled a big bonus in front of Sophia to keep her on the team.
dangle [reward] in front of [person]
Politicians often dangle the promise of lower taxes before an election.
common subject: politicians; common object: promise
Lotte's coach dangled the chance of a starting place to push her in training.
The agency dangled a free trip to Bali before any couple willing to attend the talk.
- offer
neutral; doesn't imply the manipulative quality of dangling
- tempt with
focuses on the desire raised; 'dangle' focuses on the act of showing the reward
- hold out
similar use, slightly more formal; 'hold out the prospect of'
文法句型
dangle [something] in front of/before [someone]
用法筆記
Object must be something the listener wants (money, a job, a chance, a holiday). Often suggests the offer is partly manipulative — the person dangling controls whether the reward actually arrives.
常見錯誤
3. in the sport of ice hockey, to handle the puck with tricky stick moves so as to
in the sport of ice hockey, to handle the puck with tricky stick moves so as to slip past a defender.
Minh dangled the defender at the blue line and fired a shot past the goalie.
informal hockey slang; object is the defender
The young winger dangled two players before sliding the puck to a teammate.
dangle [multiple defenders] before [pass/shot]
Christopher loves to dangle opponents with quick stick moves down the wing.
Eitan dangled the last defender and tucked the puck into the open net.
- deke
very close — also ice-hockey slang for fooling a defender with a fake move
- stickhandle past
describes the technical action; 'dangle' is the colourful slang version
文法句型
dangle [opponent/defender]
用法筆記
Strictly ice-hockey slang heard in North American game commentary; outside this context it will not be understood. The action involves quick puck control ('stickhandling'), not body contact.
常見錯誤
dangling — noun
1. the action of hanging or holding something so that it swings freely in the air.
the action of hanging or holding something so that it swings freely in the air.
The dangling of the keys above the baby kept Romi amused for ten minutes.
the dangling of [object] above/over [target]
Shanti found the constant dangling of charms from her bag a bit annoying.
the dangling of [items] from [source]
The chef demonstrated the careful dangling of the noodles into the boiling water.
Élise warned her son that the dangling of legs from the second-floor window was dangerous.
- suspension
more formal; describes any holding in mid-air, not just freely swinging
- hanging
more common everyday word for the same action
文法句型
the dangling of [something]
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the pattern 'the dangling of [something]'; the bare noun alone is unusual. Slightly formal in tone compared to a gerund clause like 'hanging the keys above the baby'.
2. an object that hangs from something else and swings freely, especially as a deco
an object that hangs from something else and swings freely, especially as a decoration.
Small silver danglings hung from the corners of Sophia's earrings.
countable: danglings as small decorations
The market stall sold beaded danglings to attach to phones and bags.
danglings as ornaments on bags/phones
Tiny glass danglings tinkled in the breeze along the porch of Esteban's cottage.
Each costume had colourful danglings sewn around the hem of the skirt.
文法句型
a dangling [on/from something]
用法筆記
Rare in everyday English — 'dangling' as a countable noun usually appears in craft, jewellery, or fashion contexts. Most speakers would say 'something dangling' or 'a hanging ornament' instead.