as in to lazy
to pretend to be sick or injured in order to avoid doing work
Because of his frequent absences, his boss suspected he was malingering.
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Recent Examples of malinger
The entire day felt dehumanizing, as if her nearly eight years with the company, her medical problems and her physical pain had been reduced to nothing more than malingering and scattered incidents of tardiness.
—
Greg Jaffe, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023
Goldstein, who did not return a message seeking comment, practices in Chicago and has lectured on the topic of malingering, according to a resume posted online.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
But when workers take advantage of the manager’s kindly nature to malinger or disrupt operations, the entire business is threatened.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022
The decision against Robert Krebs came after a psychologist determined Krebs didn’t have a mental illness or cognitive impairment and was instead malingering to avoid prosecution for the robbery last year in Tucson.
—Jacques Billeaud, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2019
On Monday, prosecutor Stuart Silberg said Ms. Ortega could have been malingering, or faking her psychiatric state.
—Corinne Ramey, WSJ, 31 July 2017
The question is obviously especially consequential when deeming a person malingering means they could be put to death.
—James Hamblin, The Atlantic, 5 May 2017
Greg Jaffe, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023
Goldstein, who did not return a message seeking comment, practices in Chicago and has lectured on the topic of malingering, according to a resume posted online.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
But when workers take advantage of the manager’s kindly nature to malinger or disrupt operations, the entire business is threatened.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022
The decision against Robert Krebs came after a psychologist determined Krebs didn’t have a mental illness or cognitive impairment and was instead malingering to avoid prosecution for the robbery last year in Tucson.
—Jacques Billeaud, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2019
On Monday, prosecutor Stuart Silberg said Ms. Ortega could have been malingering, or faking her psychiatric state.
—Corinne Ramey, WSJ, 31 July 2017
The question is obviously especially consequential when deeming a person malingering means they could be put to death.
—James Hamblin, The Atlantic, 5 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malinger
Verb
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It is hoped that motorists will leave their vehicles at home, avoid idling their engines or using drive-thru lanes, and instead use public transport or car shares to lessen the impact on the environment.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
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The truck idled for three minutes, then four minutes, then five.—
Clare Sestanovich,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Sandler, because of that punim of his, is good at playing bummed, but this scene demanded more shading — anger, charm, cockiness.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
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But, yeah, I was bummed to kind of put the team in that spot.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
Verb
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But don’t be fooled by the red planet’s Venusian trance.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Wild horses often nap on the sand like beachgoers — but don’t be fooled.—
Evan Moore
August 4,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The major project of modern Democratic politics, from the pages of Abundance to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign stops in South Carolina, is convincing people that their party can be trusted to govern without messing things up.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Here's how to enjoy your garden flowers indoors while keeping insects and mess out.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malinger. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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