linger
lin·ger/ˈlɪŋɡɚ/verb
linger is spelled L-I-N-G-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (lin·ger). It appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,336th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, linger means “To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in linger?
| Letters | 6: L-I-N-G-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: lin·ger |
| In writing | 2.0 times per million words; the 19,336th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is linger?
Linger appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,336th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce linger?
- US /ˈlɪŋɡɚ/
- /ˈliŋɡɚ/
- UK /ˈlɪŋɡə/
Linger has 2 syllables, split lin·ger in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-linger.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with linger?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as linger from its last stressed vowel (/ɪŋɡəɹ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: ringle.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of linger
- lingers present, singular, he/she/it
- lingering participle, present
- lingered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does linger mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so.
- 2
To remain alive or existent although still proceeding toward death or extinction; to die gradually.
- 3
To consider or contemplate for a period of time; to engage in analytic thinking or discussion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Linger in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | s'installer, stagner, s'incruster, perdurer, rester, persister |
| German | herumlungern, verzögern, Zeit brauchen, verweilen, bleiben, sich herumdrücken |
| Portuguese | ficar, permanecer |
| Spanish | permanecer, demorar, persistir, perdurar, quedarse , pervivir |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does linger come from?
From Middle English lengeren, frequentative of lengen (“to stay, dwell, tarry”), from Old English lenġan (“to lengthen, delay, extend”), from Proto-West Germanic *langijan, from Proto-Germanic *langijaną (compare West Frisian lingje (“to linger”), Dutch lengen, German längen, Icelandic lengja (“to lengthen”)), related to the root of English long. Equivalent to linge or long + -er (frequentative verb suffix).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).