LINGER Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

linger

verb

ˈliŋ-gər

Definition of linger

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 Nearly all showers will be lighter and short-lived, but the clouds will linger Monday with cooler autumnal temperatures to boot. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Summerlike weather will linger in Kansas City into early next week, before moisture from the remnants of rapidly intensifying Hurricane Simon could bring rain by midweek, the National Weather Service says. — Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026 On warmer days, snag a seat on the Pub’s patio, the ideal place to linger over a burger and Bloody Mary while watching the river below. — Christina Pérez, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 But there is a lingering concern that her fans won’t like that. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for linger

Recent Examples of Synonyms for linger

Verb

At least 75 data center projects worth more than $130 billion total were delayed or cancelled in the first three months of this year, according to a Data Center Watch report published in June.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
By the time the architectural plans were finished, COVID hit, and Hotel Lucile was further delayed.

— Mickey Rapkin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of delay

Verb

Oil prices have stayed above $100 per barrel as the Middle East conflict dragged on with few signs of a diplomatic off-ramp.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
But as the weeks dragged on, and the talks between the companies continued, Ellison and his team felt that they were not being taken seriously, and that WBD was preferencing other bidders.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of drag

Verb

Researchers have developed a paper-thin foot membrane that lets crawling microrobots harvest electricity directly from the ground beneath them, ditching heavy onboard batteries by turning metal and silicon surfaces into an active power source.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
In real-world tests, the hand crawled across 14 different surfaces including smooth floors, metal grates, grass, and gravel.

— Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of crawl

Verb

This is cinéma du doomscrolling at its funniest and its doomiest, generating the sort of laughs usually experienced by those strolling toward the gallows.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Fresh off a meeting, Zach Harrison strolled through the Falcons’ locker room and felt his phone buzz.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of stroll

Browse Nearby Words

line up

linger

lingered

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“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linger. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of linger

verb

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