lingered

VERB

loiter, delay

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dawdle drift idle remain stay stick around wait

STRONG

amble crawl dally dillydally falter hesitate hobble lag loll lumber mope mosey plod poke procrastinate putter saunter shuffle slouch stagger stop stroll tarry tool totter trail traipse trifle trudge vacillate

WEAK

be dilatory be long be tardy fool around fritter away goof off hang around hang out put off sit around take one's time wait around

Antonyms

STRONGEST

forge forward go leave

STRONG

advance carry on complete continue finish go ahead run rush tiptoe

WEAK

halt hurry

VERB

continue, endure

Synonyms

STRONGEST

persist remain stay stick around survive wait

STRONG

abide bide cling last stand

WEAK

hang on

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cease forge go leave

STRONG

move refuse reject

WEAK

halt hurry rush stop

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By then the couple was out of earshot, but the man’s “enough please” comment lingered.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

During that time, he’s lingered just below the first tier of indie-rock singer-songwriters in terms of popularity and critical acclaim.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Arcaded buildings glowed as friends gathered over shisha, families strolled with children and couples lingered over coffee.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

After Reagan narrowly survived an assassin’s bullet outside the same Washington Hilton where the correspondents dinner took place, the bump in his approval ratings lingered for months.

From Slate • Apr. 26, 2026

The room was identical to ours, but I lingered to watch the old man unpack.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen