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   linger

   /ˈlɪŋɡə/

   verb

   • 1. stay in a place longer than necessary because of a reluctance to leave: "she lingered in the yard, enjoying the warm sunshine" Similar wait aroundstayremainstay putwaitloiterdawdledallytake one's timelag behindstraggleditherpotter about/around/roundpauseprocrastinatestalldelayinformal:dilly-dallystick aroundhang aroundhang roundhang onhang backarchaic, literary:tarryOpposite leave
   • ▪ spend a long time over (something): "she lingered over her meal"
   • ▪ be slow to disappear or die: "the tradition seems to linger on" Similar persistcontinueremainstaybe protractedendurecarry onlastkeep on/upholdsurviveabideinformal:hang around/roundOpposite vanishdisappear

   Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘dwell, abide’): frequentative of obsolete leng ‘prolong’, of Germanic origin; related to German längen ‘make long(er)’, also to long1.

   Derivatives

   • 1. lingerer noun

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • L

     1

   • I

     1

   • N

     1

   • G

     2

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

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