All 5 Uses

malinger
in
Walk Two Moons
(Edited)

"I'm sick. Honest," she said. "It might be cancer."
"Phoebe, I know you're worried, but there's nothing we can do but wait. We have to go on with things. We can't malinger."
p. 124.2 *

malinger = avoid responsibilities by pretending to be sick
"We can't what?" Phoebe said.
"Malinger."
p. 124.2
She looked up malinger and read the definition: "To pretend to be ill in order to escape duty or work."
p. 124.4
I am not malingering.
p. 124.5

malingering = avoiding responsibilities by pretending to be sick
Usually Mr. Birkway would let people go to the bathroom or to the nurse, but this time he said, "Let's not malinger!"
p. 188.4

malinger = avoid responsibilities

Definitions:

(1) (malinger)
avoid responsibilities and duties -- often by pretending to be ill

or (more rarely): to be slow
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)