Word: Malingering
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition: Malingering is when someone pretends to be sick or unable to do their work in order to avoid responsibility or duty. This means they are not really sick, but they act like they are.
Usage Instructions: You can use "malingering" when you want to describe a situation where someone is faking an illness or injury to escape work or obligations. It's often used in contexts like healthcare, psychology, or employment.
Example Sentence: The doctor suspected that the patient was malingering because their symptoms did not match any known illness.
Advanced Usage: In legal or medical contexts, malingering can refer to someone exaggerating or fabricating symptoms to gain benefits, such as insurance money or disability leave.
Word Variants: - Malingerer (noun): A person who malingers. For example, "The manager noticed that one employee was a frequent malingerer." - Malingering (verb): The act of pretending to be ill. Though "malinger" is typically used as a verb, it is less common than the noun form.
Different Meanings: Malingering primarily has one meaning related to faking illness. However, the term can also suggest a broader sense of avoiding responsibility in different contexts.
Synonyms: - Faking - Feigning - Pretending - Evading - Shamming
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs: - There are no common idioms directly related to "malingering," but the phrase "playing sick" would convey a similar meaning in informal contexts. - The phrasal verb "make up" (as in "make up an illness") can also relate to malingering.
Summary: Malingering refers to the act of pretending to be ill to avoid work or responsibilities.