linger

/'liɳgə/

Thân thiện

The shy student lingered in the corner of the classroom.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To stay in a place longer than necessary, often because of reluctance to leave: To remain somewhere, especially when one should be leaving or moving on.
   • To continue to exist, be perceived, or be felt for a long time, often gradually fading: To persist or endure, though often in a diminished or residual form.
   • To proceed or act in a slow, unhurried, or idle manner: To take a long time to do something or to move slowly.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • After the party ended, a few guests lingered in the hallway, saying their final goodbyes.
  • The smell of coffee lingered in the kitchen all morning.
  • He lingered over his breakfast, reading the newspaper.

Advanced Usage

• "to linger on": To continue to exist or be felt for a long time, often unpleasantly.
  • The pain from the injury lingered on for weeks.
• "to linger over": To spend a long time doing or considering something, often with enjoyment or care.
  • She lingered over every detail in the museum exhibit.

Variants and Related Words

• Lingering (adj): Lasting for a long time, especially longer than usual or expected.
  • He has a lingering cough.
• Lingerer (n): A person who lingers.
  • The last lingerers finally left the café.

Synonyms

• Loiter: To stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose.
• Dawdle: To waste time; to be slow.
• Persist: To continue to exist.
• Remain: To stay in the same place.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Linger behind: To stay after others have left.
  • She lingered behind to ask the teacher a question.
• Linger about/around: To wait or spend time somewhere without a clear purpose.
  • Reporters were lingering around outside the courthouse.

Related Idioms

• Linger in the memory: To be remembered for a long time.
  • The beautiful melody lingered in the memory long after the concert ended.
• Linger on the brink/edge of: To be in an uncertain state for a prolonged period.
  • The patient lingered on the brink of death for days.

Học thuật

Verb

1. move to and fro
   • The shy student lingered in the corner
2. take one's time; proceed slowly
3. leave slowly and hesitantly
4. be about
   • The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square
   • Who is this man that is hanging around the department?
5. remain present although waning or gradually dying
   • Her perfume lingered on

Từ đồng nghĩa

• hover
• dawdle
• tarry