linger
verb (used without object)
to remain or stay on in a place longer than is usual or expected, as if from reluctance to leave.
lingered
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past participleof linger.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof linger.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
lingerverb (used without object)to remain or stay on in a place longer than is usual or expected, as if from reluctance to leave.
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 the chemicals take a long time to break down and have lingered in the environment, particularly in landfill, where they can leach into waterways and then into the sea.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
One moment from Bottura’s episode has lingered most.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
But the trauma of the sudden influx lingered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Unlike the plant-based moisturizers I had been using before this experiment, the tallow-based creams lingered on my skin for hours.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Not free, exactly— the image of Mr. Mosley writing his name on a slip of tape still lingered in his mind, even now, as he ran—but awake and alive.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
