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
  • Rasmussen in 1978 was idling in traffic on Connecticut’s Interstate 84 after acquiring a satellite transponder from RCA, and decided to launch a new network devoted only to sports on a single acre near the small town of Bristol.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • A couple blocks away there are at least nine police cars, parked, idling.
    — Sydney Brownstone, NPR, 2 Aug. 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
  • 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
  • Throughout all the commotion, Romelu Lukaku acted as decoy, holding on to the ball, fooling everyone, including the TV producer, who pulled up a graphic showing his recent penalty record.
    — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 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
  • Janssens would be one of those defenders playing in front of Suzuki in a new environment.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Manchester City’s defence was wide open in Sunday’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and that could be a sign of things to come now that Rodri is playing for Barcelona in La Liga.
    — Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of playing
Verb
  • As the train gains elevation, dense coastal forest gradually gives way to alpine tundra, glacial lakes, rocky peaks, and, early in the season, lingering snowfields before reaching the White Pass Summit at 2,885 feet.
    — Bailey Berg, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Excitement surrounding the new season is slowly growing among the West Ham United fanbase, but there are lingering issues that remain hard to ignore.
    — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • Consider an older adult recovering from a hospital stay who spends the afternoon arranging transportation to follow-up appointments instead of resting.
    — Aimée K. Dailey, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Lindsay Clancy's Massachusetts murder trial resumed Monday in Plymouth Superior Court, with the prosecution resting its case.
    — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 17 Aug. 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on malingering

Nglish: Translation of malingering for Spanish Speakers

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