Linger — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˈliŋ-gər/ lin·ger

Meaning & Definition of Linger

Linger (verb)

  1. to be slow in parting or in quitting something, tarry
  2. to remain existent although often waning in strength, importance, or influence
  3. to remain alive although gradually dying

Linger (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move or act slowly

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

    similar: crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, loiter, lollygag, mope, poke, shilly-shally, tarry, drag one's feet, drop behind, fall behind, hang fire, mark time, take one's time
    related: fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge, amble, ease, inch, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stagger, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up), filibuster, procrastinate, stall, temporize
    opposite: barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz, zip
    near: bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede, gallop, jog, run, sprint, trot, accelerate, quicken, speed (up), catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Linger

The most common words with a similar meaning to Linger:

crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag, loiter, lollygag, mope, poke, shilly-shally, tarry, drag one's feet, drop behind, fall behind, hang fire, mark time, take one's time

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Linger

Words with the opposite meaning of Linger:

barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten, hotfoot (it), hurry, race, rip, rocket, run, rush, scoot, scud, scurry, speed, tear, whirl, whisk, whiz, zip

Related Words for Linger

fiddle (around), fool around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge, amble, ease, inch, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stagger, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up), filibuster, procrastinate, stall, temporize

Near Antonyms of Linger

bowl, breeze, dart, hump, hurtle, hustle, scramble, stampede, gallop, jog, sprint, trot, accelerate, quicken, speed (up), catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake

Word Forms of Linger

Inflections: lingered, lingering

Derived words: lingerer (noun), lingeringly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Linger

Middle English (northern dialect) lengeren to dwell, frequentative of lengen to prolong, from Old English lengan; akin to Old English lang long

First known use: 14th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Linger

Frequently Asked Questions about Linger

What does "Linger" mean?

"Linger" means to be slow in parting or in quitting something, tarry. As a verb, it is defined as: to be slow in parting or in quitting something, tarry.

What is another word for "Linger"?

Other words for "Linger" include crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, delay, diddle, dillydally and drag. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Linger" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Linger"?

There are 49 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Linger". Common alternatives include crawl, creep, dally, dawdle, delay, diddle, dillydally, drag, lag and loiter.

What is the opposite of "Linger"?

Antonyms of "Linger" include barrel, bolt, career, course, dash, fly, hasten and hotfoot (it). Near antonyms include bowl, breeze, dart and hump.

How do you use "Linger" in a sentence?

Examples of "Linger" in a sentence: "since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work".

Is "Linger" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Linger" is a verb.

Is "Linger" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Linger" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Linger"?

"Linger" is pronounced /ˈliŋ-gər/ and divided into syllables as lin·ger.