linger

Meaning

1. (intransitive) To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so.
2. (intransitive) To remain alive or existent although still proceeding toward death or extinction; to die gradually.
3. (idiomatic, intransitive, often) To consider or contemplate for a period of time; to engage in analytic thinking or discussion.

Synonyms

tarry

delay

loiter

dawdle

stay

dally

procrastinate

loaf

remain

hang around

hesitate

be slow

abide

potter about

stop

🛑

bide

hang out

take a long time

pass time

persist

waste time

dwell on

be tardy

saunter

wait a little

loiter about

idle

dilly-dally

footle

lag

temporize

wait

lollygag

lounge

lurk

lallygag

mess about

hover

mill about

mill around

stray

survive

swing

trail

wander

wandering

continue to exist

lag behind

loaf around

sit around

Translations

attarder

indugiare

verweilen

bleiben

permanecer

ficar

demorarse

αργοπορώ

oyalanmak

χρονοτριβώ

demorar-se

tardar

trigar

zögern

βραδύνω

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlɪŋɡɚ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: lengeren

Cognate with Western Frisian: lingje

Cognate with Dutch: lengen

Cognate with German: längen

Cognate with Icelandic: lengja

In summary

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).