linger
to be slow to leave or disappear
TRANSLATION
linger = bleiben, sich aufhalten, verweilen, fortbestehen --- GOOGLE INDEX linger: approximately 6,500,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Northern Ireland has found a new political compromise, but bitter memories LINGER.
(BBC News)
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Downtown, just listen to the music of the traffic in the city,
LINGER on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty.
- from the song Downtown, by Petula Clark
(BBC News)
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Downtown, just listen to the music of the traffic in the city,
LINGER on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty.
- from the song Downtown, by Petula Clark
Did you
know?
linger
verb
- to delay or prolong departure
- to go in a slow or leisurely manner
- to persist or continue, esp in the mind
- to be slow to act
(Collins English Dictionary)
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Linger is a wonderful word that can be used in many different contexts. In its most basic form it means to "remain, stay" and stems from the Old English "lengan" meaning to prolong or lengthen, which is related to the German "lang" or long.
Linger can be a physical act. People who linger can frustrate others who are impatient (The wife lingered in front of the mirror until her husband reminded her that the opera begins in 10 minutes). Linger can also be positive for people who lose track of time (The young couple lingered through the park, holding hands and watching the squirrels scamper around the trees). In this case linger even sounds romantic.
Linger can also be a state of mind as in when one of the senses is activated. For instance: The smell of rotten fish lingered in the kitchen for hours. A better example might be: The smell of her perfume lingered in the bedroom for days. There's that romantic sound again.
Thoughts and memories can linger too. For instance: The frightening experience of the automobile accident lingered with the family for many years.
Instead of ending with a sad example though, let's see how linger can be used as a romantic adjective: She had lingering memories of their weekend together at the ocean-side cottage.
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SYNONYMS
amble, dawdle, dilly-dally, hang around, idle, lag, loll, lumber, mosey, remain, stay, tarry, traipse, wait, wait around
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"We lingered outside with a group of fans from the other football club until we realized the game was about to start."
verb
- to delay or prolong departure
- to go in a slow or leisurely manner
- to persist or continue, esp in the mind
- to be slow to act
(Collins English Dictionary)
---
Linger is a wonderful word that can be used in many different contexts. In its most basic form it means to "remain, stay" and stems from the Old English "lengan" meaning to prolong or lengthen, which is related to the German "lang" or long.
Linger can be a physical act. People who linger can frustrate others who are impatient (The wife lingered in front of the mirror until her husband reminded her that the opera begins in 10 minutes). Linger can also be positive for people who lose track of time (The young couple lingered through the park, holding hands and watching the squirrels scamper around the trees). In this case linger even sounds romantic.
Linger can also be a state of mind as in when one of the senses is activated. For instance: The smell of rotten fish lingered in the kitchen for hours. A better example might be: The smell of her perfume lingered in the bedroom for days. There's that romantic sound again.
Thoughts and memories can linger too. For instance: The frightening experience of the automobile accident lingered with the family for many years.
Instead of ending with a sad example though, let's see how linger can be used as a romantic adjective: She had lingering memories of their weekend together at the ocean-side cottage.
---
SYNONYMS
amble, dawdle, dilly-dally, hang around, idle, lag, loll, lumber, mosey, remain, stay, tarry, traipse, wait, wait around
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"We lingered outside with a group of fans from the other football club until we realized the game was about to start."
