lin ‧ ger /ˈlɪŋɡə $ -ər/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Origin: leng 'to lengthen, delay' (11-16 centuries) , from Old English lengan ]
1 . ( also linger on ) to continue to exist, be noticeable etc for longer than is usual or desirable:
a taste that lingers in your mouth
Unfortunately the tax will linger on until April.
2 . ( also linger on ) to stay somewhere a little longer, especially because you do not want to leave
linger over
They lingered over coffee and missed the last bus.
I spent a week at Kandersteg and could happily have lingered on.
3 . [always + adverb/preposition] to continue looking at or dealing with something for longer than is usual or desirable
linger on/over
Mike let his eyes linger on her face.
There’s no need to linger over this stage of the interview.
4 . ( also linger on ) to continue to live although you are slowly dying:
He surprised all the doctors by lingering on for several weeks.
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THESAURUS
▪ stay to not leave a place, or to be in a place for a particular period of time:
Stay where you are and don’t move.
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John only stayed at the party for a couple of hours.
▪ remain formal to stay somewhere. In written English, people often prefer to use remain rather than stay , because it sounds more formal:
Some 2,000 protesters remained outside the building and refused to leave.
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The judge recommended that he remain in jail for the rest of his life.
▪ linger to stay in a place a little longer than you need to, because you are enjoying yourself, or because you hope to see someone or something:
He lingered outside the lecture hall, hoping for a chance to talk to her.
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There are plenty of small cafés where you can linger over a cappuccino.
▪ loiter to stay in a place not doing anything – used when you think someone is waiting for the chance to do something bad or illegal:
The two men had been seen loitering in the area on the day that the car was stolen.
▪ hang around informal to stay somewhere not doing anything:
There are gangs of boys hanging around on street corners.
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I don’t mind hanging around for a few minutes.
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The boss doesn’t like being kept hanging around.
▪ stick around informal to stay in the same place or situation for a period of time, especially while you are waiting for something to happen or someone to arrive:
I decided to stick around and see how it all turned out.
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Make up your mind. I’m not going to stick around forever.