linger
Americanverb (used without object)
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to remain or stay on in a place longer than is usual or expected, as if from reluctance to leave.
We lingered awhile after the party.
-
to remain alive; continue or persist, although gradually dying, ceasing, disappearing, etc..
She lingered a few months after the heart attack. Such practices still linger among the older natives.
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to dwell in contemplation, thought, or enjoyment.
to linger over the beauty of a painting.
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to be tardy in action; delay; dawdle.
to linger in discharging one's duties.
- Synonyms:
- tarry
-
to walk slowly; saunter along.
- Synonyms:
- loiter
verb (used with object)
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to pass (time, life, etc.) in a leisurely or a tedious manner (usually followed by away orout ).
We lingered away the whole summer at the beach.
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Archaic. to draw out or protract.
verb
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to delay or prolong departure
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to go in a slow or leisurely manner; saunter
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to remain just alive for some time prior to death
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to persist or continue, esp in the mind
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to be slow to act; dither; procrastinate
Other Word Forms
- lingerer noun
- lingering adjective
- lingeringly adverb
- outlinger verb (used with object)
- overlinger verb (used without object)
- unlingering adjective
Etymology
Origin of linger
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English lengeren “to dwell, remain,” literally, “to delay repeatedly,” from lengen, Old English lengan “to delay, lengthen, prolong”; long 1, -er 6
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But while the remarks from the two leaders provided hope for an end to the month-long crisis, crude prices jumped on lingering worries about the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's
The heat lingered around 100 degrees, and while Young danced and sang, she began to visibly gag and retch before running off the stage and asking for a bucket.
From Los Angeles Times
While fans only caught a quick glimpse of Carla — who is said to be picking up extra shifts elsewhere — her name lingers in the script.
From Los Angeles Times
The lingering effects of war are likely to be less favorable.
“The U.S. stepping back from physically reopening the artery means the market now has to price a world where the blockage lingers, but the war premium fades at the margin,” Innes said.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
