verb
linger
LIHNG-guh
verb
1
To stay in a place longer than necessary, often reluctant to leave.
"We lingered over coffee long after the meal was finished."
"A faint smell of smoke lingered in the room."
2
To continue to exist or persist for longer than expected, especially before fading away.
"Doubts about the decision lingered for years."
How to Use Linger
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo stay somewhere, or persist, longer than you strictly need to.
Common pairings
linger over
a lingering doubt
lingering smell
Word Forms
lingered past tense, Lingers plural, lingers singular
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We _____ over coffee long after the meal was finished.
Etymology
From Old English lengan ("to lengthen, prolong"), related to the word long — to linger is, at root, to make a stay "longer."