MALINGERING Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

malingering

verb

present participle of malinger

as in idling

to pretend to be sick or injured in order to avoid doing work Because of his frequent absences, his boss suspected he was malingering.

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for malingering

Verb

Diesel engine idling and high-risk industrial activity across the street from homes and parks would bring air, noise and light pollution.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
And Rovell quickly discovered Kobe’s mind was incapable of idling, even during dead-of-night text exchanges.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of idling

Verb

In the highlight, Marshall retrieves the ball and oddly fires it back to the infield, fooling no one.

— Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Anybody hoping that a Netanyahu defeat in October and the emergence of a less controversial successor will reset the table is likely fooling themselves.

— Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of fooling

Verb

The Miami Hurricanes are back on the road and playing under the lights in a key Atlantic Coast Conference game.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
And his relatives in turn gave notes to the actors playing their younger selves and were encouraged to interrogate Ba as his coming-of-age story was dramatized.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of playing

Verb

With their feelings for each other blossoming, the two go out for dinner, which is full of Rushville patrons with lingering hatred for Hal.

— Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
But even in a crowd of MAGA-hat-toting Republican voters who took a day off school and work to attend a political rally, there was some lingering skepticism about Donalds at the top of the ticket.

— Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of lingering

Verb

The brand notes that this pillow is perfect for all sorts of sleepers, including those who like resting on their back, side, and stomach.

— Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026
That first reactor is already resting at a shipyard, ready for installation into the ship’s hull.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of resting

Verb

Kids who used to run to the field excited to play, suddenly started loafing to the field wearing their crocs with their heads buried in their phones.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
The pair had been loafing for some time among a grove of apple trees on a private residence in Payson.

— Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026

Definition of loafing

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

malingerers

malingering

malingers

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“Malingering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malingering. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of malingering

verb

Example Sentences

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