Past Tense of Hang (Definition, Examples & Worksheet)

Published October 20, 2024
5 min read
By Yash, D

Hung, which rhymes with sung, and is the past tense form of hang. The only context where you could see hanged is in describing an execution by rope.

Past Tense of Hang (Definition, Examples & Worksheet)

What's the past tense of "hang"?

The past tense of hang is almost always hung. Hanged is incorrect for the majority of uses—the one exception being legal contexts involving crime and punishment.

Use hung for all other applications of the irregular verb (objects on walls, clothes on hooks, feelings, etc.)

Definition of hang

To hang generally means "to suspend or be suspended from above so as to dangle or be supported". More commonly, nowadays, the verb tends to join the preposition 'up', as part of the phrasal verb, hang out (meaning, to get together with someone, or spend time together).

  • The past tense of hang is hung (or hanged in legal contexts).
  • The present or past perfect).

Verb forms of 'hang'

I/you/they hang • He/she/it hangs
I/you/they hung • He/she/it hung
I/you/they will hang • He/she/it will hang
I am/you are hanging • He/she/it is hanging
I was/you were hanging • He/she/it was hanging
I/you will be hanging • He/she/it will be hanging
I/you have hung • He/she/it has hung
I/you had hung • He/she/it had hung
I/you will have hung • He/she/it will have hung
I have been hanging • He/she/it has been hanging
I had been hanging • He/she/it had been hanging
I will have been hanging • He/she/it will have been hanging

Is hang a regular or irregular verb?

Hung is irregular. The regular rule is to attach -ed to the end of the verb—all other past tense endings are irregular.

When to use hung vs. hanged

They hung the painting above the fireplace.

In historical accounts, the criminal was hanged after sentencing.

The verb hang uses the same form for both simple past tense and present or past perfect), it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so hung can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.

Similar irregular verbs

Sentence examples: hang, hung, hung

Hang (present tense)

• Please hang your coat on the rack.

• We are hanging new curtains this weekend.

• She hangs her keys by the door.

Hung (past simple)

• They hung the painting above the fireplace.

• The portraits had long been hung in the great hall.

• Did you want to hang out later?

Hung (present or past perfect)

• By noon, the laundry had hung outside for hours.

• The artists whose pictures have not been hung in this year's Academy Exhibition.

• I'm glad we hung out yesterday!

Synonyms & nearby words

Synonyms for hang

to fasten to hook on suspend swing dangle affix stick up

Nearby phrases

to hang one's hat to get the hang of something to hang on by a thread a creaking door hangs longest to hang around to hang in

Origin of the verb/word, hang

Old English hangian "be suspended" and hengian "to hang (transitive)," from Proto-Germanic roots meaning "to be or cause to be suspended," with distinct intransitive and transitive forms that later merged in Modern English.

Practice: Forms of “Hang”

Question 1 of 5

We ______ the picture on the wall yesterday.



In historical accounts, the criminal was ______ after sentencing.



We have ______ our coats by the door.



She tried to ______ the decorations before the guests arrived.



By the time we moved in, the mirrors had already been ______.





FAQs

Is "hung" or "hanged" correct?
Both are correct, but they're used differently. Use "hung" for most meanings (e.g., pictures, clothes), and reserve "hanged" for the specific sense of execution by hanging.
What tense is "I hung"?
"I hung" is in the simple past tense.
Is "hang" a regular verb?
It can be both. "Hung" is the irregular past form; "hanged" is a regular past form used only for the execution sense.
How is "hanged" used in sentences?
In legal or historical contexts: "He was hanged in 1750"; "They were hanged for treason."

Sources

  1. "Hang." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
  2. "Hang." Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, Oxford University Press, https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/hang. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
  3. Oxford English Dictionary, "'to hang in' in hang (v.)," September 2025.
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