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Linger vs Fester - What's the difference?

linger | fester |

As verbs the difference between linger and fester

is that linger is to stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so while fester is to become septic; to become rotten.

linger

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so.
  • * 1859 , , A Tale of Two Cities , ch. 15:
  • His tone lingered in the air, almost like the tone of a musical instrument.
  • * 1891 , , "Mrs. Manstey's View":
  • She lingered in the window.
  • * 2011 April 25, Alice Park, " Upgrading the Disaster," Time :
  • It takes into account . . . predictions of how long radioactive contaminants will linger in the soil and water near the nuclear facility.
  • To remain alive or existent although still proceeding toward death or extinction; to die gradually.
  • * 1887 , , The Woodlanders , ch. 14:
  • He lingered through the day, and died that evening as the sun went down.
  • * 1904 , , "Asmund and Signy" in The Brown Fairy Book :
  • During his absence the queen fell ill, and after lingering for some time she died.
  • (often followed by on) To consider or contemplate for a period of time; to engage in analytical thinking or discussion.
  • * 2011 April 14, Michael Scherer, " Trump's Political Reality Show: Will the Donald Really Run for President?," Time :
  • Trump doesn't linger on the poll.

    Derived terms

    * lingerer * linger on

    fester

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To become septic; to become rotten.
  • * Milton
  • Wounds immedicable / Rankle, and fester , and gangrene.
  • To worsen, especially due to lack of attention.
  • Deal with the problem immediately; do not let it fester .
  • * Macaulay
  • Hatred festered in the hearts of the children of the soil.
  • To cause to fester or rankle.
  • * Marston
  • For which I burnt in inward, swelt'ring hate, / And fester'd rankling malice in my breast.

    Anagrams

    * ----