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.
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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
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to walk slowly; saunter along.
- Synonyms:
- loiter
verb (used with object)
-
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
Derived Forms
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lingerernoun
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outlingerverb (used with object)
-
overlingerverb (used without object)
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lingeringadjective
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unlingeringadjective
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lingeringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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lingersimple
-
lingerssimple
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have lingeredperfect
-
has lingeredperfect
-
am lingeringprogressive
-
are lingeringprogressive
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is lingeringprogressive
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have been lingeringperfect progressive
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has been lingeringperfect progressive
Past
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lingeredsimple
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had lingeredperfect
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was lingeringprogressive
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were lingeringprogressive
-
had been lingeringperfect progressive
Future
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”; see long 1, -er 6
Explanation
When someone lingers, he or she takes an unexpectedly long time to depart, as Romeo lingers when bidding Juliet farewell (or as annoying houseguests almost always tend to do). In addition to its primary meaning of "taking a long time to depart," linger has the additional meaning of "persisting while gradually weakening." In this sense, linger can refer to feelings or sensations that slowly fade away, like the smell of perfume that lingers in an elevator after the passengers have exited.
Vocabulary lists containing linger
The Diary of Anne Frank
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List 5
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15
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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.
See Examples For:
Most areas will see sunny spells although thick cloud will linger in north-west Scotland with patchy rain arriving during Friday afternoon.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
"That model is currently showing improvements on Saturday, but it is likely that smoke will linger and recirculate for a while," the agency said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
The texture is good, she said, but the taste doesn’t linger in your mouth as it should.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
A great appetizer gives everyone something to snack on while the grill heats up, while an easy dessert lets the evening linger without sending you back into the kitchen for another complicated cooking project.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Lets himself linger over the facts about eagle instincts.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
But the coincidence lingers: a man punished for insisting on honest numbers, spending his final year unable to speak in public, his illness advancing in the silence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Anger also lingers over the security failures surrounding the October 7 attacks, which continues to weigh on Netanyahu's standing.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
But there’s still one thing that lingers, he noted.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
Maybe that’s why this picnic lingers with me.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
The click of dark and snapping lingers drives them to Roseland, to Bunny’s; boardwalks by the sea.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
An AFP journalist saw thick black smoke rising over the Moscow region on Saturday morning, which lingered until at least late afternoon.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
First, that drove investment in public space companies while SpaceX lingered in the private market, then sold those stocks to buy SpaceX’s newly minted shares.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Dozens more lingered in the parking lot and on the lawn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Search and rescue operations had largely concluded by Friday morning, but thick smoke and an intense odor lingered, Xinhua reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Kyle and his teammates lingered in the archway just long enough to hear what Mrs. Chiltington and Charles were saying to the Book Network reporter interviewing them.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
I was genuinely searching for real answers in “The Man Will Burn” to lingering questions like, what’s up with these clowns and why do so many people despise them?
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Ohtani, who has missed his last two starts and received an Orthovisc injection to manage lingering discomfort in his left knee, has continued to throw on flat ground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
A couple of months ago, I made the mistake of lingering on an Instagram post that promised teachings on how to “regulate your nervous system.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
An AFP journalist saw thick black smoke rising over the Moscow region Saturday morning, lingering until at least the late afternoon.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
The drumming that had been lingering in the back of my head all day began to grow louder.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
