MALINGERED Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

malingered

verb

past tense of malinger

as in idled

to pretend to be sick or injured in order to avoid doing work Because of his frequent absences, his boss suspected he was malingering.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for malingered

Verb

When a power outage knocked out a third of San Francisco’s traffic lights last December, at least 60 Waymos abruptly idled mid-road, causing severe gridlock and delays.

— Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026
The former home of Belden had a commercial use in recent years and idled for six years before being acquired by his group.

— Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of idled

Verb

No case illustrates the ease with which they are fooled like the confirmation of Todd Blanche as attorney general.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026
Ultimately, Marissa is a devoted mom who had nothing to do with her son’s disappearance and who was fooled by her own husband.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of fooled

Verb

Jack Coleman, who played her father on the NBC drama, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram.

— Jack Dunn, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping is taking fans of the dystopian franchise back to Panem for the Second Quarter Quell, in which one Haymitch Abernathy (now played by Aussie actor Joseph Zada) will be forced to fight for his life.

— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of played

Verb

Kannan’s ability to manage so many characters while developing them all sufficiently to feel vivid and real … The ending has lingered in my mind long after the final page.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
Giants manager Tony Vitello lingered in the dugout after the game and watched as Wilkinson’s crew gave him a rousing cheer.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of lingered

Verb

Outer Banks’ success has always rested on an emotional depth that distracts from nonsense plot points and over-the-top escapades.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
The defense has rested in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of murdering her three children.

— Melina Khan, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of rested

Verb

I'mPhaedra Trethan, bummed out to hear one of my favorite baseball announcers has been let go in a round of ESPN layoffs.

— Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 21 July 2026
Officer Rory lets Greg go, but the combination of the walk and thinking about his daughter’s predicament has bummed him out.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026

Definition of bummed

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.

Browse Nearby Words

malinger

malingered

malingerer

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Malingered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malingered. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of malingered

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

cogent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes