linger

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“
Longing and sadness linger, as if his voice is articulating some form of beauty coming to its end.

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Definitions (16)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (6)

  1. intransitive verb To be slow in leaving, especially out of reluctance; tarry. See Synonyms at stay1.
  2. intransitive verb To remain feebly alive for some time before dying.
  3. intransitive verb To persist: an aftertaste that lingers.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

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Examples (50)

  • "The pain will always linger, our hearts emptier for her absence and the unfulfilled dreams she promised," Lana said. —  Daily Telegraph | Top Stories
  • But if the questions linger, the team could struggle in a division populated by the Mets 'Johan Santana and Mike Pelfrey; the Braves' Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, and Javier Vazquez; and the Marlins 'Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco, among other excellent starters. —  Philly.com - Latest Videos
  • The stories will linger, and one Harry loved to relate was the night when Tim McCarver, a rather loquacious sort, as you know, was on the air with Harry and Whitey regaling them about pieces of ash that had been formed by the volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens. —  Philly.com - Latest Videos
  • We would want places to linger, and offerings sweet and savory. —  Latest News
  • If symptoms linger, a physician may recommend tests to determine the cause and an appropriate treatment plan. —  Medlogs - Recent stories
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

Used in the same contextWord Family

linger:   lingered ·  lingering ·  lingers
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English lengeren, frequentative of lengen, to prolong, from Old English lengan; see del-1 in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Middle English *lengeren, tarry (= German ver-längern, prolong), freq. of lengen, tarry, from Anglo-Saxon lengan, prolong, put off (= Old High German lengjan, lengan, lengen, Middle High German lengen = Dutch lengen = Middle Low German lengen = Icelandic lengja = Swedish för-länga = Danish for-længe, lengthen), from lang, long: see leng, long.
 

Pronunciations
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/ˈlɪŋgər/
by American Heritage

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