lingerer

lin·ger

 (lĭng′gər)

intr.v. lin·gered, lin·ger·ing, lin·gers

1. To stay in a place or be slow in leaving it, often out of reluctance: Friends lingered at the picnic tables, chatting. See Synonyms at stay¹.

2.

a. To continue or persist: a smell that lingered in the air; doubts that lingered in my mind.

b. To remain feebly alive for some time before dying.

3. To proceed slowly; saunter: "the careless grace and dignity with which she lingered along the garden path" (Henry James).

4. To devote considerable time to something, especially in a leisurely fashion: We lingered over the question for an hour.

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[Middle English lengeren, frequentative of lengen, to prolong, from Old English lengan; see del- in Indo-European roots.]

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lin′ger·er n.

lin′ger·ing·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

lingerer - someone who lingers aimlessly in or about a place loiterer dawdler, laggard, lagger, trailer, poke, drone - someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

lingerer

noun

One that lags:

dawdler, dilly-dallier, lag, laggard, lagger, loiterer, poke, procrastinator, straggler, tarrier.

Informal: slowpoke.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.