hang back

verbbe reluctant

Synonyms for hang back

verb be reluctant

Antonyms for hang back

forge ahead

Word Origin & History

a fusion of Old English hon "suspend" (transitive, class VII strong verb; past tense heng, past participle hangen), and Old English hangian (weak, intransitive, past tense hangode) "be suspended;" also probably influenced by Old Norse hengja "suspend," and hanga "be suspended." All from Proto-Germanic *khang- (cf. Old Frisian hangia, Dutch hangen, German hängen), from PIE *kank- "to hang" (cf. Gothic hahan, Hittite gang- "to hang," Sanskrit sankate "wavers," Latin cunctari "to delay;" see also second element in Stonehenge). As a method of execution, in late Old English (but originally specifically of crucifixion).

Hung emerged as past participle 16c. in northern England dialect, and hanged endured only in legal language (which tends to be conservative) and metaphors extended from it (I'll be hanged). Teen slang sense of "spend time" first recorded 1951; hang around "idle, loiter" is from 1830, and hang out (v.) is from 1811. Hang fire (1781) was originally used of guns that were slow in communicating the fire through the vent to the charge. To let it all hang out "be relaxed and uninhibited" is from 1967.

Example Sentences forhang back

I wanted to hang back, too, when he took me into the house to see Mrs. Bowles.

I don't suppose you'll hang back after that; will you, Mr. Sharp?

The tone was so ugly that Dick felt it would be useless to hang back.

"Tell your boy king that we will not hang back," Haki called after Thorstein.

Not one should hang back and let his neighbors do for him what he ought to do for himself.

As they drew near home she walked in silence, and seemed to hang back.

“Depend on me; I will not hang back if we have to defend ourselves,” he answered.

And then at last it occurred to me that perhaps it was wrong in me to hang back.

Speak, Philip; do not hang back, but let me hear your mind.'

She seemed to hang back, as if reluctant, or too timid, to approach.

hang back

Synonyms for hang back

Antonyms for hang back

hesitate

hesitated

lag

lagged

shrank

hang back

Synonyms for hang back

Antonyms for hang back

More words related to hang back

crawl

hesitate

hesitated

lag

lagged

shrank