Synonyms of lingered

lingered

verb

past tense of linger

as in delayed

to move or act slowly

since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delayed
• dragged
• poked
• crawled
• strolled
• loitered
• crept
• dawdled
• played
• tarried
• lagged
• shuffled
• stalled
• fell behind
• lollygagged
• dallied
• dropped behind
• marked time
• diddled
• lounged
• hung fire
• idled
• moped
• staggered
• sauntered
• dillydallied
• ambled
• dragged one's feet
• took one's time
• loafed
• trifled
• inched
• eased
• shilly-shallied
• lolled
• puttered (around)
• fiddled (around)
• pottered (around)
• hung (around or out)
• plodded
• fooled around
• decelerated
• slowed (down or up)
• temporized
• procrastinated
• lumbered
• messed around
• monkeyed (around)
• filibustered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rushed
• hurried
• ran
• hastened
• raced
• flew
• sped
• scurried
• tore
• whirled
• dashed
• bolted
• scooted
• ripped
• whizzed
• whisked
• coursed
• darted
• rocketed
• scudded
• zipped
• scrambled
• hustled
• barreled
• ran
• breezed
• hurtled
• jogged
• trotted
• stampeded
• bowled
• galloped
• sprinted
• humped
• accelerated
• careered
• quickened
• overtook
• hotfooted (it)
• sped (up)
• caught up
• outstripped
• outpaced
• outran
• fast-forwarded

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lingered

At a college fair featuring hundreds of schools, Roland, who lingered for about three hours, didn’t see anyone approach the Cornell booth. — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

While the cold symptoms went away, the cough lingered for months. — Joe Van Ryn, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Harden got into a contractual dispute in the offseason that lingered into training camp, and he was traded in October 2023 to the Los Angeles Clippers. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

That figure declined to 12% as the pandemic lingered in 2021 and to about 3% in 2024. — David Wickert, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Wallace lingered in the car for a few minutes once slowing to a stop, though — long enough for health workers to unload a stretcher that Wallace ultimately didn’t use. — Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026

During the week, questions lingered about whether this game would actually take place with Hurricane Isaias making landfall and then heading on a northern track through the state of Alabama. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026

As the Rays celebrated on the field at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, a few Yankees lingered in the dugout and watched their rivals’ joy in pain. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Many students lingered afterward, to vent and console one another. — Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026