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 There are also lingering frustrations over how Martin handled the follow-up report on the 2024 election. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 Infections can linger Inside the body, Cyclospora infections can last for weeks or months. — Pien Huang, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026 This is because cucumbers are quick-growing plants, and removing old, desiccating vines provides an opportunity to reduce much of the pest pressure and disease sources that may be lingering. — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2026 The high temperatures are the result of a high-pressure system lingering over the area. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 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
  • Evander scored a go-ahead goal from distance in the 82nd minute and Cincinnati beat the San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 on Saturday night in a game delayed over two hours due to weather.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The airport says arrivals to Denver are also delayed an average of 15 minutes and increasing due to the weather.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • The complainant, who was not identified in the initial case report, said Celeste was attacked by a dog and dragged through the woods.
    — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In March, as the criminal investigation dragged on and many wondered if Burke would ever face charges, Jane, the girl who frequently messaged with Burke before Rivas Hernandez, dreamt about him on his birthday.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • Past that, Xbox has to figure out how to crawl out of the hole that is its console market, which has cratered in recent years.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The feat, says study coauthor and NSO senior scientist Friedrich Wöger, is equivalent to seeing ants crawling on Earth’s surface from an altitude of 100 miles (about 160 km).
    — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks — piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor.
    — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Even in the bathrooms, the toilet and bidet are concealed inside a kind of Travertine bench and the showerhead pokes out from a monolithic stone slab.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • According to Metro officials, the transit has seen a nearly 60% drop in homeless people loitering over the past two years.
    — Tom Wait, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The rocket body has been loitering lazily high above Earth for more than 18 months.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of loiter
Verb
  • Like his teammates, Kelce rarely ran when doing so wasn’t part of a play’s design, often strolling around the practice field.
    — Pete Grathoff July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • For gardens, Shosei-en is a quiet surprise so close to Kyoto Station that most visitors walk right past it, a strolling garden of ponds, bridges, and teahouses that makes a perfect first or last stop in the city.
    — Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 29 July 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 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on linger

Nglish: Translation of linger for Spanish Speakers

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