hängenlassen

German

Alternative forms

  • hängen lassen

Etymology

hängen + lassen.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhɛŋənˌlasn̩/
  • (file)

Verb

hängenlassen (class 7 strong, third-person singular present lässt hängen, past tense ließ hängen, past participle hängengelassen or (with an infinitive) hängenlassen, auxiliary haben)

  1. (transitive, figurative) to leave someone high and dry, to hang out to dry
    Synonyms: im Regen stehen lassen, im Stich lassen
    Ich hätte jetzt dringend ihre Hilfe gebraucht, aber sie hat mich einfach hängenlassen.
    I would have needed her help now urgently, but she simply left me high and dry.
  2. (reflexive, also figurative) to loosen up, to lose control or self-discipline
    Ich habe mich total hängenlassen.
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hängen, lassen.
    Ich habe meine Jacke hängenlassen.
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Conjugation

Usage notes

  • The spelling hängenlassen was deprecated in 1996 in the German spelling reform of 1996 (the Rechtschreibreform).
  • The spelling hängenlassen has been an optional spelling since the German spelling reform of 1996 (the Rechtschreibreform) as of 2006.
  • Duden now recommends the spelling hängen lassen regardless of literal or figurative use.

Further reading

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