linger

verb

ˈliŋ-gər How to pronounce linger (audio)
Definition of lingernext
as in to delay
to move or act slowly since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of linger Still, as the audience streamed out of the concert courtyard, earlier words from Finom lingered. — Katherine Turman, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026 High temperatures and wind gusts are expected to linger across the southeastern parts of the province and the Okanagan region on Sunday. — Chandelis Duster, NPR, 9 Aug. 2026 Signs of cooling hostilities between Washington and Tehran have boosted sentiment, although concerns linger about a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. — Sagarika Jaisinghani, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026 The common spaces are places to linger, from the yellow parlor room to the quiet library. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for linger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linger
  1. delay
  2. drag
  3. crawl
  4. poke
  5. loiter
  6. stroll
Verb
  • An Iranian military official said that Qatar has been delaying a probe into the fate of three pilots, whom Iran says have been held there for months, according to state media.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The opening of the Wynn Al Marjan Island has been delayed to September 2027.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • Pourrain submitted a request for extension of his stay, was awaiting an appointment, the process dragged on for years, and in the meantime, he was granted a work permit and had a valid driver’s license.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But Beaman is quick to point out that people shouldn't simply head into the woods and start dragging things out themselves.
    — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • And imagine the bear, cornered in an unfamiliar lair, seeing the light of the only exit blocked by this larger attacker that did not howl or bark, but crawled silently toward him through the addled dogs.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Tests on Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, Unitree’s G1 and Boston Dynamics’ Spot showed the robots could perform crawling, cartwheels, handstands, soccer kicks and other complex movements across different robotic body types.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • Dike was waiting in the middle to poke it home, giving Orlando a 1-0 lead.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But regardless of any lack of confidence in Hamas’ true intentions, in Mladenov’s faith in the ability to verify weapons decommissioning, or indeed Netanyahu’s own willingness to order any troop withdrawals, why poke Trump so publicly in the eye?
    — Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • At the same time, Iran has reportedly modified another one of its Shahed series of loitering munitions based directly on combat lessons derived from Russia’s war on Ukraine.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • There was late-night noise, people drinking or lingering on the front steps of the residential building, and bar patrons blocking access to the apartment parking entrance and loitering around the nearby DASH bus stop.
    — Isaac Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of loiter
Verb
  • Former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt was one of 26 Hall of Famers who strolled through the cornfields and walked to the infield ahead of Thursday’s game.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Reacher is a behemoth who strolls into towns in the South and the American heartland.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of stroll

Browse Nearby Words

line up
linger
lingered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linger. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of linger for Spanish Speakers

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