hang on every word
hang on every word (idiom)
/hæŋ ˈɑn ˈɛvri wɝd/
Synopsis
The idiom “hang on every word” describes an intense form of listening in which a person pays close, unwavering attention to everything a speaker says. Its meaning grew naturally from older figurative uses of the verb hang, where clinging or depending on something evolved into the idea of mentally clinging to speech.
Meanings
- To listen with very strong interest to everything someone says.
- Pay close attention because you respect, admire, or depend on the speaker.
- Follow a person’s speech carefully, expecting important or helpful information.
- To cling to each spoken word as if you cannot let go.
Synonyms: be all ears; listen closely; be absorbed; be fascinated; be riveted.
Example Sentences
- The students hung on every word as the coach explained the winning plan.
- Fans hung on every word when the actor talked about his next movie.
- Reporters hung on every word during the mayor’s announcement.
- The child hung on every word of the bedtime story.
- During the press conference, reporters were hanging on every word the official delivered.
Origin and History
Development of the Figurative Meaning
The verb hang has long carried figurative senses such as “to cling to” or “to depend upon.” When applied to speech, these earlier meanings shifted easily into the image of a listener whose attention appears to be attached to each word. This shift is part of English’s general pattern of expanding physical actions into abstract mental states.
Pathway to the Idiom
Two forces shaped the idiom. First, everyday figurative uses of “hang on“ created the foundation for describing intense attention. Second, public speaking contexts—especially storytelling, political oratory, and religious preaching—regularly portrayed audiences who seemed captivated by every utterance. These combined influences formed the recognizable expression “hang on every word.”
Country of Origin
The idiom emerged within the English-speaking world, with its earliest traceable printed evidence appearing in American publications. While the underlying verb forms belong to the broader English language, the complete idiom “hang on every word” is first clearly attested in nineteenth-century American print.
Earliest Printed Record
The earliest verifiable printed example appears in an 1855 American novel (Miranda Elliot, or, The Voice of the Spirit, by S. H. M.). The sentence reads:
“…from merely admiring her beauty, Mr. Earl became fascinated by it, watched her every look, hung on her every word, worshipped her.”
This line demonstrates the idiom in its full modern sense—rapt, almost worshipful attention to a speaker’s words.
Growth into a Standard Idiom
After its mid-nineteenth-century appearance, “hang on every word” quickly became established in English prose. Novelists, journalists, and biographers used it to portray fascination, admiration, and emotional closeness. By the twentieth century, it had stabilized as a common idiom meaning to listen closely and with strong interest.
Variants
- hang on someone’s every word
- hang on to every word
- hanging on every word
- hang on every sentence
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