malingered
Pretended being sick
Malingered is the past tense of malinger, meaning to fake or exaggerate illness or injury to avoid work or duty.
The word implies deliberate deception rather than genuine incapacity: He malingered for weeks, claiming back pain whenever heavy lifting was required.
Malingering often carries connotations of cowardice or laziness, particularly in military contexts.
Falsely displayed or simulated
- fakingSimulating something false
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- simulationImitation of real processes
- shammingFalsely pretending
fabrication · fakery · charade · imposture · acting · dissembling · exaggerating · put-on
Avoiding obligatory tasks
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
- evasionAct of escaping detection
- duckingBending to avoid impact
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
goldbricking · skiving · absenteeism · truancy · nonparticipation · disengagement · excuse-making · slacking
Aversion to activity
- slothfulnessState of being lazy
- idlenessState of doing nothing
- lethargyAbnormal drowsiness and apathy
- sluggishnessState of slow movement
inertia · loafing · dawdling · listlessness · unmotivated · apathy · languor · work-shy
Deliberate misleading of others
- dishonestyDisposition toward falsehood
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
- misrepresentationFalse or misleading statement
trickery · guile · cunning · fraudulence · falsehood · chicanery · artifice · scheming
Sense of unease about motives
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- doubtLack of firm belief
- warinessCautious distrust
- scrutinyClose, careful examination
questioning · disbelief · incredulity · mistrust · cynicism · misgiving · verification · detection
feigned
Falsely displayed or simulated
- fakingSimulating something false
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- simulationImitation of real processes
shamming · fabrication · fakery · charade · imposture · acting · dissembling · exaggerating · put-on · playacting
shirking
Avoiding obligatory tasks
sidestepping · goldbricking · skiving · absenteeism · truancy · nonparticipation · disengagement · excuse-making · slacking · loafing
indolence
Aversion to activity
- slothfulnessState of being lazy
- idlenessState of doing nothing
- lethargyAbnormal drowsiness and apathy
sluggishness · inertia · loafing · dawdling · listlessness · unmotivated · apathy · languor · work-shy · bone-idle
deceit
Deliberate misleading of others
- dishonestyDisposition toward falsehood
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
misrepresentation · trickery · guile · cunning · fraudulence · falsehood · chicanery · artifice · scheming · conniving
suspicion
Sense of unease about motives
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- doubtLack of firm belief
- warinessCautious distrust
scrutiny · questioning · disbelief · incredulity · mistrust · cynicism · misgiving · verification · detection · exposure
malingeredpersevered
Continued despite difficulty
soldiered on · pushed through · showed up · labored · toiled