LINGERING Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

lingering 1 of 2

adjective

as in residual

still existing or happening after something is completed or removed The area is still feeling the lingering effects of the hurricane. There are lingering questions about the extent of his involvement in the crime.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

lingering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of linger

as in delaying

to move or act slowly since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of lingering

Adjective

Shohei Ohtani returned to the top of the Dodgers’ lineup Monday after four days off to address lingering aches, as the club effectively pauses its pitching program for the two-way star. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026 No more distractions, no more lingering questions, just a baller who loves this sport and continues to level up. — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 31 July 2026 Although the treatment significantly reduced the cancer, follow-up exams showed lingering traces of the disease. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026 Communities near the Canadian fires could see lingering impacts into the weekend as long as fires continue burning and winds keep transporting smoke south. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 15 July 2026 Thomas missed 57 games last season, mostly because of the same lingering left hamstring issue. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026 On the one hand, that means that many survive the disease without serious lingering effects. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025

Verb

Mostly hidden from our daily view, the machinery for making white meat—a chemical and metabolic system of planetary scope—will be a lingering trace of human presence in the annals of Earth history. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 By Saturday morning, lingering snow is likely at high elevations in Yosemite National Park and near Mammoth Mountain. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The crowd skews slightly older—Western couples lingering over breakfast, afternoon tea, and cocktails rather than rushing through sightseeing. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 The storm is finally beginning to pull away, although lingering minor coastal flooding remains a concern in parts of Ocean County, NJ, and Sussex County, DE this morning. — Kate Bilo, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Philadelphia can at least move on to Monday night's game against Dallas without Hurts' playing status serving as a lingering question mark. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 At-home chemical peels can help maintain certain results by exfoliating dead skin cells, smoothing texture, and gradually fading lingering discoloration. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026 Abruptly moving on, like a magician preventing his audience from lingering on his last trick, Alex pulled out a tablet, holding it up to me. — Andrew Lipstein, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026 With daylight still lingering well into the evening, the sky may not become dark enough for good aurora viewing until around midnight or later. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lingering

Adjective

Within six minutes, the polymer decomposed into soluble constituents, leaving only residual material behind.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
The numbers are based on an 81% residual value on a 24-month lease with 7,500 miles per year.

— Jerry Perez, The Drive, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of residual

Verb

The significance of the phase 3 data extends beyond delaying a recurrence, doctors said.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
According to the county staff report, delaying repairs for a formal bidding process could increase the risk of additional sinkholes, ground collapse and property damage.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of delaying

Adjective

Explore See latest videos, charts and news Latin music is a powerful example of how artists continue to evolve, inspire new audiences and build lasting connections across generations.

— Billboard Staff, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026
The Brewers have left their mark on our area in a much more lasting way.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of lasting

Verb

Count seats against your guest list, then throw down floor cushions or a blanket pile instead of dragging in extra chairs.

— Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Plus, because most wide-legs have longer inseams, a low heel prevents them from dragging on the ground.

— Eva Thomas, InStyle, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of dragging

Verb

My physical study, on the floor, poking at what was there in the open field of the air, led to newfound levels of learning to process, in poems on the page, where my initial feelings of hunger came from.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
In a recent interview with OutKick Dropkick, Hefner was already poking the bear in hopes of getting eyes on his event.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of poking

Verb

Prior to then, traffic was seen crawling on the eastbound side of the bridge heading into the city.

— Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
At the hospital, an insect fell from the girl’s shoe, and a staffer saw a cockroach crawling on her, the district attorney’s office said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of crawling

Verb

Gusts of more than 60 mph are possible in parts of the Outer Banks with 40 to 50 mph gusts creeping toward the Interstate 95 corridor in North Carolina and southern Virginia.

— Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Graduate unemployment is at 23 percent, white-collar job growth has slowed to a creeping one percent this year, and nearly a quarter of Indians between the ages of 15 and 29 are not in employment, education, or training programs.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of creeping

Browse Nearby Words

lingeries

lingering

lingeringly

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Style

“Lingering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lingering. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lingering

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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