If you’re looking for another way to say “hang out,” the best choice depends on the situation and tone. Natural alternatives include spend time together, get together, meet up, socialize, catch up, chill, spend time with, and get together with friends. Some sound casual, while others work better in neutral or formal settings.
Key Takeaways
- “Hang out” usually means spending relaxed, informal time with someone.
- “Spend time together” is one of the closest neutral alternatives.
- “Meet up” focuses more on getting together at a particular time or place.
- “Catch up” suggests talking and finding out what has happened in someone’s life.
- “Chill” is very casual and works best with friends or people you know well.
- For formal situations, “socialize,” “spend time together,” or “meet” may be better choices.
What Does “Hang Out” Mean?
“Hang out” is an informal phrasal verb that means to spend time with someone in a relaxed or casual way. It does not usually suggest a specific activity.
For example:
“Do you want to hang out after work?”
This could mean getting coffee, talking, watching a movie, walking around, or simply spending time together.
The phrase is common in everyday American English, especially in conversations with friends, family, classmates, and coworkers you know well.
Best Alternatives to “Hang Out”
1. Spend Time Together
“Spend time together” is one of the closest and most flexible alternatives.
Example:
“Do you want to spend some time together this weekend?”
Best for: Neutral, friendly, and personal situations.
2. Get Together
“Get together” means to meet and spend time with one another. It can refer to an informal meeting, social gathering, or visit.
Example:
“We should get together sometime next week.”
Best for: Friends, family, coworkers, and casual social plans.
3. Meet Up
“Meet up” emphasizes the act of meeting at a particular time or place.
Example:
“Let’s meet up for coffee tomorrow.”
Best for: Casual plans and making arrangements.
4. Catch Up
“Catch up” is useful when you have not seen or talked to someone for a while and want to talk about what has been happening.
Example:
“It’s been months since we talked. We should catch up.”
Best for: Friends, former classmates, relatives, and acquaintances.
Note: “Catch up” is not always a direct synonym for “hang out.” It specifically suggests reconnecting and talking.
5. Socialize
“Socialize” means spending time interacting with other people.
Example:
“I like to socialize with my friends on weekends.”
Best for: Neutral or somewhat formal writing.
Note: It sounds more formal than “hang out.”
6. Chill
“Chill” is a very casual alternative to “hang out.” It often means relaxing together without a particular plan.
Example:
“Want to chill at my place tonight?”
Best for: Close friends and casual conversations.
7. Spend Time With
This phrase is simple and natural when you want to emphasize being with a particular person or group.
Example:
“I’m going to spend some time with my friends tonight.”
Best for: Neutral and everyday situations.
8. Meet
“Meet” is a broad, neutral option. It can work when the exact social activity is not important.
Example:
“I’m meeting some friends after work.”
Best for: Casual, neutral, and professional contexts, depending on the sentence.
9. Get Together With Friends
This makes the social meaning especially clear.
Example:
“I’m getting together with some friends this Saturday.”
Best for: Casual conversations and social plans.
10. Spend Time Socializing
This is a more explicit way to describe relaxed social interaction.
Example:
“We spent the evening socializing with our neighbors.”
Best for: Neutral or formal writing.
11. Visit
“Visit” can replace “hang out” when the situation involves going to someone’s home or spending time with them.
Example:
“I’m going to visit my cousin this weekend.”
Best for: Family, friends, and home visits.
Note: “Visit” usually implies seeing someone at a particular place, so it is not interchangeable with “hang out” in every sentence.
12. Spend the Day Together
Use this when the activity lasts for much of the day.
Example:
“We spent the day together exploring the city.”
Best for: Friends, couples, family, and social outings.
13. Spend the Evening Together
This is useful when the time period is clear.
Example:
“We’re going to spend the evening together.”
Best for: Casual and personal situations.
14. Go Out Together
“Go out together” usually means leaving home to do something socially.
Example:
“Do you want to go out together this weekend?”
Best for: Friends, couples, and social plans.
Note: Depending on context, “go out together” can also suggest a romantic relationship, so use it carefully.
15. Get Coffee Together
Sometimes the most natural alternative is to name the activity rather than use a general phrase.
Example:
“Want to get coffee together sometime?”
Best for: Friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and casual meetings.
16. Grab a Coffee
“Grab a coffee” is a common casual expression for meeting someone for coffee.
Example:
“Want to grab a coffee after work?”
Best for: Friends, coworkers, and casual professional connections.
17. Grab a Bite
This means getting something to eat together.
Example:
“Let’s grab a bite after class.”
Best for: Casual social situations.
18. Spend Some Quality Time Together
This phrase emphasizes meaningful or enjoyable time rather than simply meeting.
Example:
“We should spend some quality time together this weekend.”
Best for: Family, close friends, and romantic relationships.
19. Enjoy Some Time Together
This is a warm, natural alternative when you want to emphasize enjoying someone’s company.
Example:
“We had a chance to enjoy some time together before she moved.”
Best for: Personal, warm, or reflective contexts.
20. Keep Each Other Company
This means staying together so neither person is alone.
Example:
“I’ll keep you company while you wait.”
Best for: One-on-one situations.
Note: This has a slightly different meaning from “hang out” because the focus is on companionship.
21. Spend Time With the Group
Use this when you’re talking about joining or being with a particular group.
Example:
“I’m going to spend some time with the group after the meeting.”
Best for: Neutral and social contexts.
22. Socialize With Friends
This is a straightforward alternative when the focus is on social interaction.
Example:
“I usually socialize with friends on Friday nights.”
Best for: Neutral or formal writing.
23. Have a Get-Together
A get-together is an informal social gathering.
Example:
“We’re having a small get-together at my house on Saturday.”
Best for: Parties, gatherings, family events, and groups of friends.
24. Make Plans Together
This focuses on arranging an activity rather than simply spending time together.
Example:
“We should make plans together for the weekend.”
Best for: Friends, family, and casual planning.
25. Enjoy Each Other’s Company
This means enjoying being around another person.
Example:
“They spent the afternoon enjoying each other’s company.”
Best for: Warm, polished, or slightly formal writing.
“Hang Out” Alternatives by Tone
| Alternative | Tone | Best Context |
|---|---|---|
| Spend time together | Neutral | Most situations |
| Get together | Casual/neutral | Friends, family, coworkers |
| Meet up | Casual | Making plans |
| Catch up | Casual | Reconnecting |
| Chill | Very casual | Close friends |
| Socialize | Neutral/formal | General or professional writing |
| Visit | Neutral | Seeing someone at their home/place |
| Go out together | Casual | Social outings |
| Grab a coffee | Casual | Friends or coworkers |
| Have a get-together | Casual | Groups and gatherings |
| Enjoy each other’s company | Polished | Personal or formal writing |
Which Alternative Should You Use?
The best replacement depends on what you actually mean.
If you simply mean “spend time together”
Use spend time together.
“I like hanging out with my cousins.”
“I like spending time with my cousins.”
If you mean “make plans to meet”
Use meet up.
“Let’s meet up after work.”
If you have not seen someone recently
Use catch up.
“We should catch up sometime.”
If you want a very casual expression
Use chill.
“Do you want to chill tonight?”
If you want a more neutral or formal expression
Use socialize.
“The event gives employees a chance to socialize.”
If you are describing a specific activity
Name the activity instead.
“Want to grab a coffee?”
“Let’s grab a bite.”
“Do you want to go for a walk?”
This often sounds more natural than repeatedly using “hang out.”
“Hang Out” vs. “Meet Up”
These phrases are closely related, but there is a small difference.
Hang out focuses on spending relaxed time together.
“We hung out at her house all afternoon.”
Meet up focuses more on coming together at an agreed time or place.
“We met up at the coffee shop at 3 p.m.”
You can meet up without hanging out for long, and you can hang out without emphasizing the meeting itself.
“Hang Out” vs. “Catch Up”
These are also not exact synonyms.
Hang out simply means spending time together.
“We hung out all Saturday.”
Catch up means reconnecting, usually after some time apart, and talking about what has been happening.
“We caught up over coffee.”
If the main purpose is conversation and reconnecting, catch up is the better choice.
“Hang Out” vs. “Chill”
Both are very casual.
Hang out can involve almost any relaxed social activity:
“We hung out at the mall.”
Chill often has a stronger sense of relaxing:
“We just chilled at home.”
“Chill” is especially common in casual speech and texting, but it is not a good choice for formal or professional writing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using “socialize” in very casual conversations
“Socialize” is correct, but it can sound more formal than necessary.
Instead of:
“Do you want to socialize tonight?”
A friend would usually say:
“Do you want to hang out tonight?”
or:
“Want to chill tonight?”
Using “catch up” when you are meeting for the first time
“Catch up” usually suggests that you already know the person and have something to discuss after time apart.
For a first meeting, meet up or get together is usually more appropriate.
Assuming “go out together” always means friendship
Depending on context, “go out together” can suggest dating or a romantic relationship.
If you only mean friendship, be more specific:
“We’re going out with some friends.”
Treating every alternative as an exact synonym
The alternatives above overlap with “hang out,” but they do not all mean exactly the same thing. Spend time together is one of the closest general replacements, while catch up, chill, visit, and meet up add different shades of meaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is another word for “hang out”?
Common alternatives include spend time together, get together, meet up, socialize, catch up, chill, and spend time with. The best choice depends on whether you want a casual, neutral, or more formal tone.
What is a formal way to say “hang out”?
For formal writing, socialize, spend time together, or meet can work depending on the context. “Hang out” is generally informal.
What is a casual way to say “hang out”?
Chill, get together, meet up, and spend time together are natural casual alternatives. “Chill” is the most informal of these.
Can I say “catch up” instead of “hang out”?
Sometimes. “Catch up” works when you are reconnecting with someone and talking about what has happened since you last spoke or met. It does not always mean simply spending time together.
Is “spend time together” the same as “hang out”?
They are very close in many situations. “Spend time together” is more neutral, while “hang out” is informal and often suggests relaxed, unstructured time.
What is another way to say “hang out with friends”?
You can say spend time with friends, get together with friends, meet up with friends, socialize with friends, chill with friends, or go out with friends.
Is “chill” a synonym for “hang out”?
“Chill” can be a casual synonym when the meaning is to relax or spend informal time together. It is more slangy and casual than “hang out,” so it is not suitable for every context.
Final Thoughts
“Hang out” is a flexible, informal expression, so there is no single replacement that works in every sentence. Spend time together is the safest general alternative, while meet up works well for plans, catch up fits reconnecting, chill suits very casual conversations, and socialize works better in formal or neutral writing. Choose the phrase that matches both your meaning and your audience.
Role: Lead Author & Content Specialist
James Mitchell is an experienced Lead Author at Elite’s Collective. He specializes in creating high-impact editorial content and driving core written projects designed to inform and engage readers.
