linger

[ ling-ger ]

/ ˈlɪŋ gər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR linger ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

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.

to dwell in contemplation, thought, or enjoyment: to linger over the beauty of a painting.

to be tardy in action; delay; dawdle: to linger in discharging one's duties.

to walk slowly; saunter along.

verb (used with object)

to pass (time, life, etc.) in a leisurely or a tedious manner (usually followed by away or out): We lingered away the whole summer at the beach.

Archaic. to draw out or protract.

Origin of linger

1250–1300; Middle English lengeren to dwell, remain (somewhere), frequentative of lengen, Old English lengan to delay, prolong, literally, lengthen. See long¹, -er⁶

SYNONYMS FOR linger

1, 4 tarry.

1, 5 loiter.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR linger ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM linger

lin·ger·er, noun lin·ger·ing·ly, adverb out·lin·ger, verb (used with object) o·ver·lin·ger, verb (used without object)

un·lin·ger·ing, adjective

Words nearby linger

lingam, lingayat, lingayata, lingayen gulf, lingcod, linger, lingerie, lingo, lingoe, lingonberry, lingua

Example sentences from the Web for linger

Cuomo was asked to show up an hour early, but he evidently did not want to linger at the debate site.

Behind the Scenes With a ‘Site Agent’: The Secret Service’s Hardest Job |Marc Ambinder |October 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
One Republican consultant wondered how long Bridgegate will linger.

Vote for the (Alleged) Crooks! How Rick Perry, Chris Christie, and Scott Walker are Running While Under Investigation |Olivia Nuzzi |August 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And when they linger open for just a few seconds longer than usual, it signals a dreaded delay.

Leaky Ceilings, Catcalls, and Uncaged Pythons: 4 Hours on NYC’s Worst Subway |Kevin Zawacki |August 8, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
For a writer who was a master of reduction, never one to linger on the passing view, this was an unusually effulgent paragraph.

Is This Hemingway’s Pamplona or a Lot of Bull? |Clive Irving |July 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

In some cases the cost can linger long after the pleasure has dissipated.

The High Cost of An Orgasm: Is Momentary Pleasure Worth a Lifetime of Regret? |Aurora Snow |June 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I ought to linger nowhere; for misfortune flies to overtake me, and injures all that are connected with me.

Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and Travels, Vol. I (of 2) |Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Why did he linger behind when here was grass and water––surely water, for the smell of it was fresh and sweet.

The Eye of Dread |Payne Erskine
But it did linger now, as Cally trod somewhat dreamily over streets that she had long known by heart.

V. V.'s Eyes |Henry Sydnor Harrison
The great Mazzarini Palace looks sad and forlorn; nor do we mean to linger much longer on a scene whence the actors have departed.

The Daltons, Volume II (of II) |Charles James Lever
Let me linger over the memory of scenes which have passed away.

Phaedrus |Plato

British Dictionary definitions for linger

linger

/ (ˈlɪŋɡə) /

verb (mainly intr)

to delay or prolong departure

to go in a slow or leisurely manner; saunter

to remain just alive for some time prior to death

to persist or continue, esp in the mind

to be slow to act; dither; procrastinate

Derived forms of linger

lingerer, noun lingering, adjective lingeringly, adverb

Word Origin for linger

C13 (northern dialect) lengeren to dwell, from lengen to prolong, from Old English lengan; related to Old Norse lengja; see long 1

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

linger

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

Origin of linger

SYNONYMS FOR linger

OTHER WORDS FROM linger

Words nearby linger

Example sentences from the Web for linger

British Dictionary definitions for linger

verb (mainly intr)

Derived forms of linger

Word Origin for linger

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

linger

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

Origin of linger

SYNONYMS FOR linger

OTHER WORDS FROM linger

Words nearby linger

Words related to linger

Example sentences from the Web for linger

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for linger

verb (mainly intr)

Derived forms of linger

Word Origin for linger

British Dictionary definitions for linger