linger
verb
What linger means
To stay somewhere longer than necessary, because you enjoy it or do not want to leave.
We lingered over coffee after dinner.
Visitors linger in the square to watch the street musicians.
Test yourself
Five questions about linger
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Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does linger mean?
If you linger, you do not hurry away. You stay a little longer than you need to, usually because you are enjoying the place or the moment.
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Question 2 of 5Situation
Dinner finished an hour ago, but the friends are still sitting at the table, talking and finishing their coffee. Nobody wants to go home yet. They…
The friends stay at the table longer than they need to because they are enjoying it, and that is what linger means. To wander, you would have to walk around.
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Question 3 of 5Gap
The sunset was so beautiful that we ___ at the viewpoint for another twenty minutes.
They stayed at the viewpoint longer than they planned because they were enjoying the view, and staying on like that is to linger.
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Question 4 of 5Similar word
Which phrase is closest in meaning to linger?
To linger is to stay somewhere a little longer than you need to. The other phrases are about leaving quickly, starting a journey or arriving early.
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Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses linger correctly?
Linger needs a preposition before the place, as in linger in the cafe, and it is never passive. In a positive sentence, say for a long time, not for long.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Linger in a sentence
5 more examples of linger in everyday situations.
- On vacation
We lingered on the beach until the sun went down.
- At a museum
She lingered in front of the painting for almost twenty minutes.
- At work
A few people lingered after the meeting to ask the speaker questions.
- A warning
Please do not linger near the doors when the train is about to leave.
- With friends
Nobody wanted to go home, so we lingered outside the café, talking.
How to use linger
Linger is gentle and slow. You linger over a meal, linger at a viewpoint, or a smell lingers in a room. It can also describe an illness or a feeling that does not go away: a lingering cough.
Linger is more poetic than stay.
Forms
- lingershe/she/it
- lingeredpast
- lingeredpast participle
- lingering-ing form
Patterns
- linger over something (a meal, a drink)
- linger in / at / outside a place
- linger for + time
Common mistakes with linger
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NotWe lingered in the cafe for long.
SayWe lingered in the cafe.
In a positive sentence, say for a long time, not for long. Often linger alone is enough, because it already means staying longer.
Linger or stay or wait?
- linger or stay
- Stay is the neutral word for not leaving. Linger adds the idea that you stay longer than you need to, usually because you enjoy it or do not want to go.
- linger or wait
- You wait because you expect something to happen. You linger because you want to stay a little longer, not because you are waiting for anything.
Linger is a C1 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Linger word family and collocations
The words that go with linger, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- linger over
- linger in
- a lingering doubt
- the smell lingers
- linger a while
Word family
- linger (verb)
- lingering (adjective)
Similar words
- stay a little longer
Questions about linger
What does linger over mean?
To linger over something means to spend a long, relaxed time on it, often a meal or a drink. 'We lingered over breakfast' means we ate slowly and stayed at the table.
Is linger a formal word?
Linger sounds a little literary, but it is common in both writing and speech. In casual conversation people also say hang around or stick around with a similar meaning.
The word before
Do you still remember postpone?
One question about the word from 18 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
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What does postpone mean?
If you postpone something, it still happens, just later than the first plan, for example a meeting that moves from Monday to Friday.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More travel words
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B2
souvenir
Something you buy or keep to remember a place or a trip. -
B1
departure
The act of leaving a place, especially at the start of a journey. -
B2
accommodation
A place to stay while you travel, such as a hotel, a hostel or an apartment. -
B2
timetable
A list that shows the times when buses, trains or planes leave and arrive. -
C1
overbooked
Having more people with reservations than there are seats or rooms available. -
B2
destination
The place where a person or thing is going, especially at the end of a journey.