Linger

The verb linger means to continue to exist for a long time, often much longer than expected.

Synonyms are persist, endure, remain, or survive.

The word origins from Old English lengan (13th century) meaning “prolong, lengthen”, and Proto-Germanic langjan meaning “to make long” (source also of Old Frisian lendza, Old High German lengan, and Dutch lengen meaning “to lengthen”).

Let us not linger over the details of this plan so we can go home early.

He wanted to linger more in his mother’s arms.

Many ancient beliefs linger in the country.