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 Ohtani hasn’t pitched since July 3 because of lingering inflammation and soreness in his left knee. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 Chapman went through the rehab process and hoped to return when the Giants visited the Padres in San Diego two weeks ago, but didn’t return as planned due to lingering soreness while running. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026 Officials said high water could linger for days even after the river crests, with additional rainfall expected to slow the area's recovery. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 Maria Black, only the seventh CEO in ADP’s 77-year history, often lingers before her predecessors’ portraits on the walk to her office. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 14 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
  • Pleitez would later tell police she was being confronted by Ahumada and others, who were assaulting her 20-year-old companion and attempting to drag him from the car.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • An agreement could provide momentum for talks to renew the USMCA North American trade pact; US-Mexico talks have dragged on, and the White House has publicly opposed renewing the transcontinental deal.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • The six-legged hopper, which, at each landing site, will crawl to material undisturbed by its rocket plume, also carries a drill to look for water ice.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Trying to crawl her way towards a spot between her shoulder blades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • Defender Kevin O'Toole poked the ball away, but Mboma Dem put away a sliding first-touch shot that opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Somebody had taken a cosmic needle and poked holes in the dome so that the light could filter in.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • The company revealed that both the Containerized Missile Launcher and the FV-014 loitering munition system are in-house developments.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of loiter
Verb
  • Julian Lucas strolled through the museum’s exhibitions to see for himself.
    — Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Year-round, the downtown plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is typically a quiet place to stroll and maybe grab your morning coffee.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 18 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of linger for Spanish Speakers

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