LINGER

tarry, linger

(verb) leave slowly and hesitantly

linger, dawdle

(verb) take one’s time; proceed slowly

loiter, lounge, footle, lollygag, loaf, lallygag, hang around, mess about, tarry, linger, lurk, mill about, mill around

(verb) be about; “The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square”; “Who is this man that is hanging around the department?”

hover, linger

(verb) move to and fro; “The shy student lingered in the corner”

linger

(verb) remain present although waning or gradually dying; “Her perfume lingered on”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

linger (third-person singular simple present lingers, present participle lingering, simple past and past participle lingered)

(intransitive) To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so; to loiter.

(intransitive) To remain alive or existent although still proceeding toward death or extinction; to die gradually.

(intransitive, often followed by on) To consider or contemplate for a period of time; to engage in analytic thinking or discussion.

Synonyms

• (to stay or remain in a place or situation): abide, tarry; See also tarry

Anagrams

• Ringel, Ringle

Proper noun

Linger (plural Lingers)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Linger is the 15052nd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1962 individuals. Linger is most common among White (95.41%) individuals.

Anagrams

• Ringel, Ringle

Source: Wiktionary


Lin"ger, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Lingered; p. pr. & vb. n. Lingering.] Etym: [OE. lengen to tarry, AS. lengan to prolong, put off, fr. lang long. Long, a.]

Definition: To delay; to loiter; to remain or wait long; to be slow or reluctant in parting or moving; to be slow in deciding; to be in suspense; to hesitate. Nor cast one longing, lingering look behind. Gray. Perhaps thou linger'st, in deep thoughts detained. Milton.

Syn.

– To loiter; lag; saunter; delay; tarry; stop; hesitate.

Lin"ger, v. t.

1. To protract; to draw out. [Obs.] She lingers my desires. Shak.

2. To spend or pass in lingering manner; -- with out; as, to linger out one's days on a sick bed. Dryden.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

17 April 2025

SPONGE

(noun) a porous mass of interlacing fibers that forms the internal skeleton of various marine animals and usable to absorb water or any porous rubber or cellulose product similarly used


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Coffee Trivia

Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.

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