# lingering

Pronunciation: say "LING-gur-ing" /ˈlɪŋɡəɹɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of linger. — present participle and gerund of linger
   - Simple: The -ing form of linger. Use it after am, is, are, was or were, or to name the action.
   - _A faint smell of smoke was lingering in the kitchen hours after the fire went out._
   - _Lingering over the menu, the diners debated each dish at length._

## Noun

2. Gerund of linger: an act of loitering or waiting. — gerund of linger: an act of loitering or waiting.
   - Simple: Gerund of linger: the act of staying or waiting in a place longer than needed.
   - _The constant lingering of customers past closing time frustrated the staff._
   - _His lingering over each goodbye showed how reluctant he was to leave._
3. A remnant; something that remains or persists after the rest has gone or faded.
   - Simple: A small bit that is left after most of something is gone.
   - _In the closing pages, a lingering of the original hope still colors the narrator's voice._
   - _The cold soup left a faint lingering of garlic on the tongue._

## Origin

Formed from the verb "linger" combined with the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/lingering (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).