as in to lazy
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 malinger
The entire day felt dehumanizing, as if her nearly eight years with the company, her medical problems and her physical pain had been reduced to nothing more than malingering and scattered incidents of tardiness.
—
Greg Jaffe, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023
Goldstein, who did not return a message seeking comment, practices in Chicago and has lectured on the topic of malingering, according to a resume posted online.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
But when workers take advantage of the manager’s kindly nature to malinger or disrupt operations, the entire business is threatened.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022
The decision against Robert Krebs came after a psychologist determined Krebs didn’t have a mental illness or cognitive impairment and was instead malingering to avoid prosecution for the robbery last year in Tucson.
—Jacques Billeaud, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2019
On Monday, prosecutor Stuart Silberg said Ms. Ortega could have been malingering, or faking her psychiatric state.
—Corinne Ramey, WSJ, 31 July 2017
The question is obviously especially consequential when deeming a person malingering means they could be put to death.
—James Hamblin, The Atlantic, 5 May 2017
Greg Jaffe, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2023
Goldstein, who did not return a message seeking comment, practices in Chicago and has lectured on the topic of malingering, according to a resume posted online.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2023
But when workers take advantage of the manager’s kindly nature to malinger or disrupt operations, the entire business is threatened.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022
The decision against Robert Krebs came after a psychologist determined Krebs didn’t have a mental illness or cognitive impairment and was instead malingering to avoid prosecution for the robbery last year in Tucson.
—Jacques Billeaud, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2019
On Monday, prosecutor Stuart Silberg said Ms. Ortega could have been malingering, or faking her psychiatric state.
—Corinne Ramey, WSJ, 31 July 2017
The question is obviously especially consequential when deeming a person malingering means they could be put to death.
—James Hamblin, The Atlantic, 5 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malinger
Verb
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There are multiple scenes of him as a younger man walking briskly on city streets, briefcase tucked under an arm – purposeful, directed, not idling or taking in the ambiance around him.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
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Power comes from a new hybrid system expected to deliver 37 mpg in combined city/highway driving — a 54% increase from the most efficient version of the 2023 Cherokee, the last model Stellantis built before idling production.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As a fan, I can get bummed out when there’s a huge gap between seasons.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Aug. 2025
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Sandler, because of that punim of his, is good at playing bummed, but this scene demanded more shading — anger, charm, cockiness.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
Verb
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The set also comes with two matching pillow shams, and it’s been awarded nearly 2,000 perfect five-star ratings from happy customers—many of whom say not to be fooled by the low price.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Aug. 2025
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Don’t be fooled: With the latest shtick of sending U.S. National Guard troops into the Washington, D.C., area, these are attempts to normalize military assets on our streets.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The major project of modern Democratic politics, from the pages of Abundance to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s campaign stops in South Carolina, is convincing people that their party can be trusted to govern without messing things up.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Here's how to enjoy your garden flowers indoors while keeping insects and mess out.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malinger. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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