Definition

A game where one player thinks of a word and the other tries to guess it by suggesting letters. If the guess is wrong, a part of a stick figure is drawn until the figure is complete or the word is guessed.

Example

We played hangman during our lunch break, and it was a lot of fun trying to guess the word.

Conversation

Have you ever played hangman with your friends?

Yeah, I love that game! It's so much fun to guess the letters.

I recently played it at a party and everyone got really into it.

That's awesome! It's always exciting to see who can guess the word first.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Hangman → The word is formed from "hang" (from Old English "hangian", meaning to suspend or be suspended) and "man" (from Old English "mann", meaning a person). The term "hangman" refers to a person who carries out the execution by hanging.

Memory Tip

Think of someone who 'suspends' ('hang') a 'person' ('man') — that's why a hangman is the one who carries out the hanging.

Visually Confused Words