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 Abruptly moving on, like a magician preventing his audience from lingering on his last trick, Alex pulled out a tablet, holding it up to me. — Andrew Lipstein, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026 Old channels linger as soft depressions across the floodplain, now filled with bog vegetation in muted shades of yellow, green, and brown—living traces of flowing water long since gone. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 The whole crowd also seemed to linger, hoping to win a free RTX Spark laptop signed by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026 This will remove any lingering stains and give your fridge a clean, fresh smell. — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 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
  • The tests could easily do the opposite, as people with results suggesting cancer require follow-up testing that overwhelms our healthcare system, potentially delaying diagnoses for people with cancer.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The game was one of many across the Southland delayed or postponed by lightning, particularly in Orange County.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • Season 2 picks up from where things left off, with Michael and Diana having barely arrived in Spain when they are dragged back into the fold to answer questions around Ricardo’s death.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s spokesman denied Britain was being dragged in to the conflict.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • On thinner material, that gives you a fighting chance at keeping heat and warpage under control without crawling along at a miserable pace.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The bystander told the woman to get down on the floor before crawling into the home beneath the heaviest heat and dragging her to safety, according to the fire department.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • Ask it to poke holes and give you the strongest case against something.
    — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Kessler, standing nearby during Williams’ postgame news conference, poked his head out from behind a black curtain and gave his teammate a thumbs-up.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • The storm could then loiter just off the coast into next week.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The rock kids, the funk kids, the disco-ers, the club rats are all fleetingly conjoined by one pair of highly attuned ears loitering on the streets.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of loiter
Verb
  • Moments later, a male lion strolled out of the thin trees behind me, settling by the pond for a drink.
    — Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Over the next two hours, friends stroll by, on bike and on foot, stopping to catch up for a while before continuing on.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 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 26 Oct. 2026.

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