# hung

Pronunciation: say "HUNG" /ˈhʌŋ/

## Verb

1. Simple past and past participle of hang, except when referring to execution, where hanged is used. — simple past and past participle of hang (except when referring to the method of execution; there, hanged is used instead)
   - Simple: Past tense and past participle of hang. Used for most meanings of hang, but not for killing someone, which uses hanged instead.
   - _He hung the laundry out to dry before the rain came._
   - _The portrait had hung in the gallery for decades._
8. Simple past and past participle of hang in the sense of executing by hanging. This use is often considered incorrect; hanged is the standard form. *(nonstandard)* — simple past and past participle of hang (in any sense)
   - Simple: Past tense and past participle of hang. Used for killing someone with a rope, though many say only hanged is correct.
   - _According to local legend, two horse thieves were hung from that oak in 1871._
   - _The pirate captain was tried, convicted, and hung within a week._

## Adjective

2. Suspended in place by being attached or held from above rather than resting on a support.
   - Simple: Held up off the ground by being fixed or attached at the top.
   - _The hung tapestry swayed slightly in the draft from the window._
   - _Workers steadied the newly hung sign before bolting it down._
3. Of a jury, unable to reach the unanimous verdict required to decide a trial.
   - Simple: Used for a jury that cannot all agree, so the trial ends with no verdict.
   - _A hung jury forced the prosecution to decide whether to retry the defendant._
   - _The trial ended with a hung jury after one juror refused to change his vote._
4. Of a legislature in which no single political party holds a majority of the seats.
   - Simple: Describes a parliament or council where no single party has enough seats to be in charge.
   - _The close election produced a hung parliament, forcing rival parties into negotiations._
   - _With the council hung, no group could pass its budget alone._
5. Of a computer or similar device that has power but stops responding or runs very slowly, a state often cleared by restarting it. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Used for a computer that has power but stops working or runs very slowly.
   - _The server stayed hung until an engineer restarted it._
   - _A hung application can usually be closed and reopened to fix the problem._
6. Of a man, having a large penis, frequently in the intensified phrase well hung. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A slang way of saying a man has a large penis.
   - _Rumor among the cast was that the lead actor was famously well hung._
   - _She remarked offhandedly that her new boyfriend was hung._
7. Having additions or appendages that hang down from the main body.
   - Simple: Having parts that hang down, like flaps, tassels, or other loose pieces.
   - _The festival tent was hung with streamers and paper lanterns._
   - _Her ceremonial robe was hung with beads and dangling charms._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/hung (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).