Dictionary

linger en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈlɪŋɡə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈliŋɡɚ/ Upper Midwestern US, Western US, Canada, pre-/ŋ/ tensing
• /ˈlɪŋɡɚ/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English lengeren, frequentative of lengen (“to stay, dwell, tarry”), from Old English lenġan (“to lengthen, delay, extend”), from Proto-West Germanic *langijan, from Proto-Germanic *langijaną (compare West Frisian lingje (“to linger”), Dutch lengen, German längen, Icelandic lengja (“to lengthen”)), related to the root of English long. Equivalent to linge or long + -er (frequentative verb suffix).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so.
   • Still more foole I ſhall appeare / By the time I linger here c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ix], page 172:
   • Stars fading but I linger on, dear / Still craving your kiss / I'm longin' to linger till dawn, dear / Just saying this 1931, “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, Gus Kahn (lyrics), Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt (music):
   • His tone lingered in the air, almost like the tone of a musical instrument. 1859, Charles Dickens, chapter 15, in A Tale of Two Cities:
   • Mrs. Clinton’s main opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic Socialist, has proved to be more formidable than most people, including Mrs. Clinton, anticipated. He has brought income inequality and the lingering pain of the middle class to center stage and pushed Mrs. Clinton a bit more to the left than she might have gone on economic issues. 2016 January 30, “Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Nomination”, in The New York Times, retrieved 30 Jan 2016:
   • It takes into account […] predictions of how long radioactive contaminants will linger in the soil and water near the nuclear facility. 2011 April 25, Alice Park, “Upgrading the Disaster”, in Time, archived from the original on 03 Dec 2011:
   • She lingered in the window until the windy sunset died in bat-colored dusk; then, going to bed, she lay sleepless all night. 1891 July, Edith Wharton, “Mrs. Manstey's View”, in Scribner’s Magazine:
2. (intransitive) To remain alive or existent although still proceeding toward death or extinction; to die gradually.
   • During his absence the queen fell ill, and after lingering for some time she died. 1904, Andrew Lang, “Asmund and Signy”, in The Brown Fairy Book:
   • He lingered through the day, and died that evening as the sun went down. 1887, Thomas Hardy, chapter 14, in The Woodlanders:
3. (followed by on, idiomatic, intransitive, often) To consider or contemplate for a period of time; to engage in analytic thinking or discussion.
   • Trump doesn't linger on the poll. 2011 April 14, Michael Scherer, “Trump's Political Reality Show: Will the Donald Really Run for President?”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 Sep 2011:

Forms

Deriveds

linger out · lingerer · lingersome · outlinger · linger on · lingerly · overlinger · lingering

Synonyms

retard · abide · eld · stay · abide · tarry · linger · wait · loiter · tarry

Translations (122)

sv bestå (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · it protrarsi (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · mk про́мисли (to consider or contemplate) · sv fortleva (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ro zăbovi (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de verweilen (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · cs prodlévat (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de nachklingen (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ca perviure (to remain alive or existent) · sv släntra (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · la moror (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · fr s'incruster (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · nb dvele (to consider or contemplate) · cs promýšlet si (to consider or contemplate) · hu marad (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · mk се ра́звлече (to remain alive or existent) · cmn 猶豫 /犹豫 (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ru заде́рживаться (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · fi viipyä (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · izh kähnätä (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · fr stagner (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ro rămâne (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · bg задържам се (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de Zeit brauchen (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · bg заседявам се (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · mk се о́должи (to remain alive or existent) · fr s'éteindre (to remain alive or existent) · eo daŭri (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · fi viipyillä (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · mk се вле́чка (to remain alive or existent) · la sedeō (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de zögern (to consider or contemplate) · it tirare avanti (to remain alive or existent) · nl talmen (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · cmn 流連 /流连 (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · io langorar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · cmn 逗留 (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de ausharren (to remain alive or existent) · hu időzik (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · it attardarsi (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ca romandre (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · es perdurar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · grc χρονίζω (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de verzögern (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · es pervivir (to remain alive or existent) · pt ficar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · he הִתְעַכֵּב (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de verbleiben (to remain alive or existent) · bg обмислям (to consider or contemplate) · es inquirir (to consider or contemplate) · eo resti (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · nl blijven hangen (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ca durar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · he הִתְמַהְמֵהַּ (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · es persistir (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ru анализировать (to consider or contemplate) · ca rumiar (to consider or contemplate) · io durar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · cmn 深思 (to consider or contemplate) · de aushalten (to remain alive or existent) · it indugiare (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · cs přežívat (to remain alive or existent) · de durchhalten (to remain alive or existent) · mk се за́држи (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · fr perdurer (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · mi whakawhēauau (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · nl aanslepen (to remain alive or existent) · de sich aufhalten (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · sv söla (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · cs zdržovat se (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ast atalantar (to consider or contemplate) · it sopravvivere (to remain alive or existent) · kk кідіру (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ru протя́гивать (to remain alive or existent) · fr persister (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · it sostare (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · tr oyalanmak (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de trödeln (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · sv dröja kvar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · it trattenersi (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ru размышлять (to consider or contemplate) · mk ра́змисли (to consider or contemplate) · nl weifelen (to consider or contemplate) · de hinauszögern (to remain alive or existent) · ca persistir (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de überdenken (to consider or contemplate) · de herumlungern (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · fi tuumiskella (to consider or contemplate) · fr rester (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de sich aufhalten (to consider or contemplate) · nl treuzelen (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · cs uvažovat (to consider or contemplate) · ro sta (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de sich herumdrücken (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · ru обдумывать (to consider or contemplate) · de ausharren (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de herumtrödeln (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · fi riutua (to remain alive or existent) · de bleiben (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · mk се одолго́влечи (to remain alive or existent) · sv leva kvar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · fi viivytellä (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · la cunctor (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · es demorar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · tr durmak (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · mk о́бмисли (to consider or contemplate) · mk се за́седи (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de herauszögern (to remain alive or existent) · it restare vivo (to remain alive or existent) · de sich Zeit lassen (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · cmn 躊躇 /踌躇 (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · pt permanecer (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de zurückbleiben (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · de fortbestehen (to remain alive or existent) · io restar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · io tardigar (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · fr s'installer (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · es permanecer (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · mk се про́тегне (to remain alive or existent) · es quedarse (to stay or remain in a place or situation) · cmn 苟延殘喘 /苟延残喘 (to remain alive or existent) · mi whakahakune (to stay or remain in a place or situation)