- hang back
- intransitive verb Date: 1581 1. to drag behind others 2. to be reluctant
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
hang back
Look at other dictionaries:
hang\ back — • hang back • hang off • hang behind 1. To stay some distance behind or away, be unwilling to move forward. Mary offered the little girl candy, but she was shy and hung back. 2. To hesitate or be unwilling to do something. Lou wanted Fred to join … Словарь американских идиом
hang back — ► hang back remain behind. Main Entry: ↑hang … English terms dictionary
hang back — index pause, procrastinate Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
hang back — 1) PHRASAL VERB If you hang back, you move or stay slightly behind a person or group, usually because you are nervous about something. [V P] I saw him step forward momentarily but then hang back, nervously massaging his hands. 2) PHRASAL VERB If… … English dictionary
hang back — v. (D; intr.) to hang back from (to hang back from giving information) * * * [ hæŋ bæk] (D; intr.) to hang back from (to hang back from giving information) / … Combinatory dictionary
hang back — phrasal verb [intransitive] Word forms hang back : present tense I/you/we/they hang back he/she/it hangs back present participle hanging back past tense hung back past participle hung back to not do something immediately because you are not… … English dictionary
hang back from something — ˌhang ˈback (from sth) derived to hesitate because you are nervous about doing or saying sth • I was sure she knew the answer but for some reason she hung back. Main entry: ↑hangderived … Useful english dictionary
hang back — Synonyms and related words: avoid, back down, balance, be dilatory, blench, blink, boggle, cringe, dawdle, debate, deliberate, demur, dodge, drag, draw back, duck, evade, fade, fall back, fall behind, falter, fear, fight shy of, filibuster,… … Moby Thesaurus
hang back — or[hang off] or[hang behind] 1. To stay some distance behind or away, be unwilling to move forward. * /Mary offered the little girl candy, but she was shy and hung back./ 2. To hesitate or be unwilling to do something. * /Lou wanted Fred to join… … Dictionary of American idioms
hang back — or[hang off] or[hang behind] 1. To stay some distance behind or away, be unwilling to move forward. * /Mary offered the little girl candy, but she was shy and hung back./ 2. To hesitate or be unwilling to do something. * /Lou wanted Fred to join… … Dictionary of American idioms
hang back — verb to lag or linger behind (Freq. 1) But in so many other areas we still are dragging • Syn: ↑drag, ↑trail, ↑get behind, ↑drop behind, ↑drop back • Derivationally related forms: ↑ … Useful english dictionary
