entry
malinger
/məˈlɪŋɡər/Pretend illness to avoid duty or gain advantage
From French malingre (Ailing).
from French malingrer "to suffer," a slang word that probably also at one time meant "pretend to be ill,"
+1 more sourcefrom French malingrer "to suffer," a slang word that probably also at one time meant "pretend to be ill,"
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from French malingrer "to suffer," a slang word that probably also at one time meant "pretend to be ill,"
+1 more sourcefrom French malingrer "to suffer," a slang word that probably also at one time meant "pretend to be ill,"
+1 more sourceIn medieval French, a malingre person was simply sickly or fragile; the word did not initially require any deception. Its verb, malingrer, later acquired a darker social setting, probably through beggars who displayed sham sores or pretended illness to stir compassion. English adopted malinger in 1820, turning feigned weakness into a recognizable strategy for escaping military service, work, or other obligations. The ultimate French origin is uncertain: one theory sees a blend involving mingre “sickly,” malade “ill,” maigre “meager,” and possibly Germanic hager “thin.” So a malingerer is not merely someone who feels unwell but someone staging illness as a performance—the sickroom transformed into an alibi.
The Story
In medieval French, a malingre person was simply sickly or fragile; the word did not initially require any deception. Its verb, malingrer, later acquired a darker social setting, probably through beggars who displayed sham sores or pretended illness to stir compassion. English adopted malinger in 1820, turning feigned weakness into a recognizable strategy for escaping military service, work, or other obligations. The ultimate French origin is uncertain: one theory sees a blend involving mingre “sickly,” malade “ill,” maigre “meager,” and possibly Germanic hager “thin.” So a malingerer is not merely someone who feels unwell but someone staging illness as a performance—the sickroom transformed into an alibi.
Modern Usage
Feign illness or injury to avoid occupational work
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entries describe workers who fake illness or injury to avoid work
Kin & Kindred
From 'malingre'·Ailing, sickly, delicate
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary