malinger
UK[məˈlɪŋɡə]US[məˈlɪŋɡər]
v
To pretend to be ill, especially in order to avoid work or duty.
Etymology
The verb 'malinger' entered English in the early 19th century from the French military slang 'malingre', meaning 'sickly, ailing'. The French term likely has its origins in the Old French phrase 'mal engré', meaning 'ill will' or 'bad inclination' ('mal' for 'bad' + a derivative of 'engré' meaning 'desire, inclination'). This etymological journey illustrates a semantic shift from a general state of being unwell or poorly disposed to the specific, deliberate act of feigning illness to shirk responsibility. The word's history is tied to the context of soldiers attempting to avoid service, a meaning it retains in its modern usage for anyone avoiding duty through pretense.
Analysis
This word is a loanword from French, adopted as a single lexical unit. It does not contain productive, separable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The soldier was suspected of trying to malinger to get out of the difficult training exercise.
He has a reputation for malingering whenever a major deadline approaches.
The doctor was skilled at identifying patients who were genuinely ill versus those who were malingering.