malingering

[muh-ling-ger-ing]

adjective

1. pretending illness, especially in order to shirk one’s duty, avoid work, etc..

   Typically, malingering patients are reluctant to undergo examination and complain about having to participate.

2. of or being a pretended illness.

   The manager reprimanded the employee and accused him of having a malingering illness.

noun

1. the act or practice of pretending illness.

   Stop your malingering and help your mother with the chores!

Word History and Origins

Origin of malingering¹

First recorded in 1770–80; malinger ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; malinger ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

In some cases, they have attributed reported health-effects from fume exposure to factors including hyperventilation, jet lag, psychological stress, mass hysteria and malingering.

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The State Bar of California, which was going after Girardi’s law license, quickly cast doubt on the diagnosis, suggesting possible malingering, a refrain later picked up by federal prosecutors pursuing wire fraud charges.

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Staton had previously ruled Girardi had some cognitive impairment but was competent to stand trial and even showed signs of malingering, or exaggerating, his dementia symptoms.

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The experts spent hours with Girardi, interviewing him and conducting tests that can identify mental deficits and in some cases malingering, feigning or exaggerating illness.

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Detecting that someone is malingering is not an exact science.

Read more on Scientific American