lingered; lingering
ˈliŋ-g(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to be slow in parting or in quitting something : tarry
fans lingered outside the door
2
a
: to remain existent although often waning in strength, importance, or influence
lingering doubts
lingering odors
b
: to remain alive although gradually dying
was seriously ill, but lingered on for several months
3
: to be slow to act : procrastinate
He lingered in settling the estate in order to increase his fees.
4
: to move slowly : saunter
lingering homeward
Examples of linger in a Sentence
The tourists didn't linger very long.
She lingered at the art exhibit.
He lingered in bed and missed breakfast.
They lingered over coffee after dinner.
The heat lingered long after the sun had gone down.
The smell of her perfume lingered.
The idea lingered in their minds.
Recent Examples on the Web
FireSat will help incident commanders get better information more quickly, and, unlike fire-spotting aircraft, the satellites can linger over a fire for days or weeks and aren’t hampered by high winds or smoke.
—
Eric Niiler,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2026
When Sichuan University researchers gave senolytics, drugs designed to clear out cells that have stopped functioning but linger in the body anyway, to aged mice, the animals regained the ability to form new dentin and maintain healthy pulp tissue.
—
Allison Palmer
july 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2026
As the money pours into AI and the rest of the economy tries to get a lift from exports and tourism, there’s a lingering question of when the music will stop.
—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
6 July 2026
After a stormy Fourth of July weekend, Baltimore will begin the week with unsettled weather as a slow-moving system lingers over the region.
—
Baltimore Sun Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
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Eric Niiler,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2026
When Sichuan University researchers gave senolytics, drugs designed to clear out cells that have stopped functioning but linger in the body anyway, to aged mice, the animals regained the ability to form new dentin and maintain healthy pulp tissue.
—
Allison Palmer
july 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2026
As the money pours into AI and the rest of the economy tries to get a lift from exports and tourism, there’s a lingering question of when the music will stop.
—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
6 July 2026
After a stormy Fourth of July weekend, Baltimore will begin the week with unsettled weather as a slow-moving system lingers over the region.
—
Baltimore Sun Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
Cite this Entry
“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/linger. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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