MALINGERER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does malingerer mean? 

• MALINGERER (noun)
  The noun MALINGERER has 1 sense:

1. someone shirking their duty by feigning illness or incapacity

  Familiarity information: MALINGERER used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MALINGERER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone shirking their duty by feigning illness or incapacity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

malingerer; shammer; skulker

Hypernyms ("malingerer" is a kind of...):

shirker; slacker (a person who shirks his work or duty (especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime))

Derivation:

malinger (avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill)

 Context examples 

One night there was a heavy snowfall, and in the morning Pike, the malingerer, did not appear.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Pike, the malingerer, who, in his lifetime of deceit, had often successfully feigned a hurt leg, was now limping in earnest.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

When he saw Pike, one of the new dogs, a clever malingerer and thief, slyly steal a slice of bacon when Perrault’s back was turned, he duplicated the performance the following day, getting away with the whole chunk.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Pike, the malingerer, leaped upon the crippled animal, breaking its neck with a quick flash of teeth and a jerk, Buck got a frothing adversary by the throat, and was sprayed with blood when his teeth sank through the jugular.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)