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lingering

  • present participle
    of linger.
    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.
  • a word derived from linger.
    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.

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.

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Just last week, Joey Porter Jr. told reporters he “definitely” would play for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season despite a contract standoff and a lingering back issue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

He blamed his croaky impersonation on a lingering "fresher's flu".

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

As Chelsey excavates the details of Rika’s biography, she explores the blank spaces and lingering questions surrounding her own obscured origins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The wide spread may have been a lingering artifact of the Eurozone debt crisis that followed the financial crisis, but either way, it has started to widen.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

The loyal Calvin waited days for her response, lingering between this world and the next.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock