malinger — English Dictionary

Verb

1. To feign illness, injury, or incapacitation in order to avoid work, obligation, or perilous risk.

   Usage

   • Transitive or intransitive

   Broader terms

   shirk

   Examples

   It is not uncommon on exam days for several students to malinger rather than prepare themselves.

   More examples (1)

   And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully! / Smoothed by long fingers, / Asleep … tired … or it malingers, / Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me.

   It has been the impression of past investigators that persons who malinger psychosis have latent tendencies for the condition.

2. To self-inflict real injury or infection (to inflict self-harm) in order to avoid work, obligation, or perilous risk.

   Usage

   • Transitive or intransitive

Verb

1. avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill

   Synonyms

   skulk

   Broader terms

   fiddleshirkshrink fromgoldbrick