Definition
To linger is to stretch one's staying — the word descends from the Old English lengan, 'to lengthen'. Guests linger over coffee after the meal has ended; a scent lingers in a room its wearer left; doubts, pains, and memories linger long after the events that caused them. The word can be tender or unwelcome, but it always measures the same thing: a presence outlasting its occasion. What lingers has, in some quiet way, already been asked to leave.
Examples
- The guests lingered over coffee long after the plates were cleared.
- The smell of smoke lingered in the hallway for days.
- Doubts lingered about whether the published figures told the whole story.
Collocations
linger over·lingering doubts·a lingering smell·linger in the memory·lingering effects
Synonyms
remain·persist·stay on·dawdle·loiter
Antonyms
vanish·hurry away·dissipate
Word family
lingering (adjective)
In TOEFL & IELTS
TOEFL passages use 'lingering effects' for the aftermath of diseases, wars, and economic shocks — treat it as a signpost that consequences are the topic. In IELTS Speaking Part 2, 'the memory still lingers' elevates any story; in writing, 'lingering doubts/questions' adds precision to counterarguments. Its emotional opposite on this site is 'ephemeral': the ephemeral leaves early, what lingers will not leave.