malingering

verb

present participle of malinger
as in idling
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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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for malingering
  1. idling
  2. messing
  3. fooling
  4. bumming
  5. playing
  6. lingering
  7. resting
  8. loafing
Verb
  • Diesel engine idling and high-risk industrial activity across the street from homes and parks would bring air, noise and light pollution.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
  • And Rovell quickly discovered Kobe’s mind was incapable of idling, even during dead-of-night text exchanges.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of idling
Verb
  • There was something a little therapeutic about messing it up.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 June 2026
  • No one can match her depth and passion to get vengeance on Krem of the Yellow Hills for messing with her family — a sentiment Cancers understand.
    — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of messing
Verb
  • In the highlight, Marshall retrieves the ball and oddly fires it back to the infield, fooling no one.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Anybody hoping that a Netanyahu defeat in October and the emergence of a less controversial successor will reset the table is likely fooling themselves.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of fooling
Verb
  • Spring cleaning bumming you out?
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
  • That’s what was bumming him out.
    — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
Definition of bumming
Verb
  • Fele Martínez has this incredible ability to be funny without playing comedy.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • And in the battle for control of the Senate, Republicans are now playing defense and spending tens of millions of dollars in some of the most Republican states in the country.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of playing
Verb
  • While Beverly Hills and West Hollywood bounced back after the pandemic, Santa Monica continues to struggle with retail vacancies and lingering economic woes.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The rich tomato sauce brought plenty of flavor, the Italian sausage added a savory bite and the Calabrian peppers gave the dish a lingering heat without overwhelming everything else.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • Jockeys maintain it with only a few toes resting on each stirrup.
    — Cameron Peters, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Some of them sat at tables of four in a common area, reading, working on laptops or resting their heads.
    — Rosie Cima, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of resting
Verb
  • Kids who used to run to the field excited to play, suddenly started loafing to the field wearing their crocs with their heads buried in their phones.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
  • The pair had been loafing for some time among a grove of apple trees on a private residence in Payson.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of loafing
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.

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malingerers
malingering
malingers
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Cite this Entry

“Malingering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malingering. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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