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lingerer

lingerer

1 7.7
A person who stays in a place longer than needed without a good reason
  • noun
  • /ˈlɪŋɡər/
translation icon : perdedor
  • At first, we lingerers were half a dozen or more, then just our hosts and Roberta and I, sitting in deep patio chairs or on the low wall before the Mackalls' great sloping lawn.

Examples

  • - Lingerer.

  • During the busy lunch hour, she often found herself chatting with the linger who sat at the corner table.

  • A lingerer still for the sunset hour.

    Academic text (2017)
  • - Fucking lingerer.

  • It is so obvious to most of us when to stop beating a horse, but there are always a few lingerers who -- maybe because they're high on adrenaline -- continue to pound away well after the point of death.

    Blog text (10)
  • As the meeting dragged on, the linger kept stalling the discussion with irrelevant questions.

  • The park was filled with people, but one linger remained on the bench, lost in thought.

Synonyms

loiterer
vslingerer
2 5.3

A person who stands or walks in a public place without a clear purpose

stays longer than necessary rather than just being in public
lounger
vslingerer
1 5.8

A person who often rests and does very little

stays longer than necessary rather than resting out of laziness
potterer
vslingerer
  • UK
9.9

A person who spends time doing small, unimportant tasks slowly

remains in one place longer than simply doing small tasks
rester
vslingerer
7.4

A person who stays behind when others leave

stays longer than necessary rather than simply remaining when others leave

Antonyms

2 5.8

A person who leaves a place or group at the end of a period

How Long

squatter
23 5.7
lingerer
1 7.7
guest
1.0
visitor
908 1.0
passerby
  • US
12 3.3

Surface Forms

lingerer singular
lingerers plural

Morphology

lingerer = linger (transparent) = linger + er

The word 'linger' with the agentive suffix '-er' clearly indicates a person who lingers.

Etymology

Lingerer comes from the verb linger, which comes from an old word meaning 'to make long' or 'to stay longer'. The -er part means 'a person who', so a lingerer is someone who stays longer than needed.