linger
Americanverb (used without object)
-
lingers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lingered,
past participle, past
-
lingering
present participle
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- tarry
-
to walk slowly; saunter along.
- Synonyms:
- loiter
verb (used with object)
-
lingers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lingered,
past participle, past
-
lingering
present participle
-
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.
-
Archaic. to draw out or protract.
verb
-
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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
lingerernoun
-
outlingerverb (used with object)
-
overlingerverb (used without object)
-
lingeringadjective
-
unlingeringadjective
-
lingeringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
lingersimple
-
lingerssimple
-
have lingeredperfect
-
has lingeredperfect
-
am lingeringprogressive
-
are lingeringprogressive
-
is lingeringprogressive
-
have been lingeringperfect progressive
-
has been lingeringperfect progressive
Past
-
lingeredsimple
-
had lingeredperfect
-
was lingeringprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Asian equities were mixed after rebounding on improved risk sentiment, as concerns about aggressive artificial-intelligence spending continued to linger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Sandisk and Lumentum recover some ground Monday, while CoreWeave falls despite a Goldman Sachs upgrade as AI financing concerns linger.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
This discomfort can linger for days – making easy, everyday tasks a challenge.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
This warmth will linger in many parts of England and Wales on Thursday with temperatures expected to peak at 22C in East Anglia.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
That old quiet moss smell would linger in the air, and bees would come, and crickets, and herons build their nests in the deep dark woods.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Downbeat and irreverent, Mr. deWitt’s road-trip novel glances at, though never lingers over, themes of responsibility, abandonment and agency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Residual dye lingers in tanks and fuel systems, Neuman said, adding that “even trace amounts in clear diesel can bring IRS and state penalties outside the waiver window.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Yet the image of the male Viking warrior stubbornly lingers, drawing crowds while also haunting the galleries like a restless specter.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
As the question lingers as to how Fortune died, petitions online signed by tens of thousands of people have called for more transparency, and members of US Congress have asked for federal intervention.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
The tear gas lingers and drifts like smoke.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
The smell of smoke lingered in the air.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
In 1980, it was renamed the National Museum of American History, but the tension lingered.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
From the start, questions have lingered over the robustness of the revision, which has seen 130 million names from across India struck off the voters' list.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
U.S. stocks ended mixed as buzz about AI products propelled large tech companies to more record highs even as energy inflation fears lingered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Their eyes lingered on her for a second, two seconds, three seconds, and then they continued scanning the crowd.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Eastern Scotland looks cloudy and wet with a lingering front and the far south coast of England could also see outbreaks of rain.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Together, these findings suggest that lingering taste problems after COVID-19 may involve multiple biological disruptions, affecting both the way taste cells are organized and how effectively they transmit information.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
The Dodgers are not benching Shohei Ohtani despite lingering injuries and a long slump.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
It also threads throughout a few clever nods to Bob Dylan, though how that element fits into the whole I’ve yet to fully figure out—just the kind of lingering headscratcher this festival excels at.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
On that particular day my mother was lingering at home and it was a nice change from her running out with briefcase in hand.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
