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linger

[ ling-ger ]
/ ˈlɪŋ gər /
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See synonyms for: linger / lingered / lingering / lingers on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)
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.

OTHER WORDS FOR linger

1, 4 tarry.
1, 5 loiter.
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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

OTHER WORDS FROM linger

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use linger in a sentence

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, nounlingering, adjectivelingeringly, 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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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