Have you ever had a visitor overstay his/her welcome? Not many people like to stay till the end of a party. Not many people even like going to parties.
However, we have people who go to parties, stay till the end, and remain there when everyone should be long gone.
There aren’t many words for a person who has overstayed his/her welcome. However, we have words that can describe such a person.
An example is a dilly-dallier i.e. someone who dilly-dallies. While this word isn’t central to overstaying one’s welcome, it has to do with a bad habit that may cause one to overstay his/her welcome.
What do you call someone who overstays their welcome?
A person who overstays his/her welcome can be considered insensitive to time or people’s privacy. He/she may also just be a procrastinator.
Below are 15 words you can use in referring to a person who overstays his/her welcome.
- Laggard (or Lagger)
- Lingerer
- Insensitive
- Straggler
- Hanger-on
- Loiterer
- Lollygagger
- Obsessive
- Slowpoke
- Dawdler
- Dilly-dallier
- Hedonist
- Lounger
- Loafer
- Overachiever
Laggard (or Lagger)
A person who regularly overstays his/her welcome can be called a Laggard. A Laggard or Lagger is a person who is always lagging behind or taking more time than necessary to do things.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a Laggard is a person ‘who lags behind or takes more time than is necessary than others in a group’. A laggard is simply sluggish in making moves or making decisions.
When a person is used to staying late at a party or on occasion, he/she can be called a Laggard.
Examples:
- He is a laggard. I don’t want him coming around.
- Who is the laggard? Tell him the party is over.
Lingerer
‘Lingerer’ can be used to refer to a person who is staying longer than necessary at a party. While this word doesn’t directly mean overstaying one’s welcome at a place, a lingering person will most likely overstay his/her welcome while lingering.
A lingerer is a person who stays back and walks around. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word, ‘Lingerer’, as ‘a person who stays in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to leave or not easily able to do so.’
A lingerer can stay behind because he/she is unable to find a safe way out. He/she may also stay behind because he/she doesn’t want to leave that place yet.
If a person has overstayed his/her welcome at your place or occasion, this is one of the best words to call him/her. It is also safe to use this word since it isn’t negative.
Examples:
- I don’t invite him to parties. He can be a lingerer at times.
- I don’t want a lingerer at the house party. We have plans.
Insensitive
Insensitive is a good word to qualify a person who always overstays his/her welcome at a place. However, using this word alone doesn’t capture ‘overstaying one’s welcome.’
You can simply use this word as a quality of a person who doesn’t care about staying too long at your place.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, ‘Insensitive’ is defined as ‘being unaffected or not expressing normal physical or emotional feelings.’ An insensitive person may not be able to tell what is wrong with staying so late at another person’s house.
Examples:
- He is so insensitive that he stays so late at my place.
- If he’s that insensitive to time, he shouldn’t be at the party.
Straggler
A straggler simply does things differently from others. The name can be given to a person who has overstayed his/her welcome at a place or who always stays longer than others at a party.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a straggler is a person who departs from the direct course of the company he/she belongs to.
The word, ‘Straggler’, refers to a person who falls behind the rest. It is also used to refer to a person who roams about.
Just like the word, ‘Lingerer’, ‘Straggler’ manages to capture a characteristic of a person who is likely to overstay his/her welcome at a place.
Examples:
- I can be a straggler at parties so I often choose to stay home.
- I don’t want a straggler in my home. I like to be alone.
Hanger-on
A person who has overstayed his/her welcome can be called a Hanger-on. A Hanger-on is a person who sticks with a person, place, or service.
While a Hanger-on doesn’t necessarily overstay his/her welcome, the need to give the person’s persistent stay a name suggests you no longer welcome the person around you or in a place.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a Hanger-on is a person who sticks with a person, a place, or a service. A Hanger-on refuses to leave a person or place, often due to what he/she expects to gain or is already gaining.
The tag, ‘Hanger-on’, is more suitable for someone who is allowed to stay temporarily with a person or in a place but is already staying longer than expected.
Examples:
- He is another hanger-on. He should have been out of here.
- I’m no fan of hangers-on. Leave when you are asked to
Loiterer
A loiterer is a person who loiters. You can use this word in referring to a person who has overstayed his/her welcome at your place or occasion. A loiterer is a person who lingers about or hangs around a place for no clear reason.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a loiterer is a person who stands idly without an aim or purpose. A loiterer stays back at a place as though he/she is unwilling to leave the place.
While a loiterer isn’t necessarily someone that overstays his/her welcome, a loiterer will most likely overstay his/her welcome while loitering about.
Examples:
- He can be a loiterer at parties. I don’t want anyone hanging around.
- Kelly was the loiterer who refused to leave yesterday’s party.
Lollygagger
A lollygagger is simply a lazy person who chooses to be idle or shies away from necessary efforts, thereby wasting time.
A lollygagger is also a procrastinator. He/she still has to go back to the work that he/she shies away from. This word can be used to refer to a person who stays too long at parties or at another person’s house.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a lollygagger is a lazy person who stays idle and tries to avoid necessary work or effort. When a lollygagger attends a party, he/she may feel too lazy to get up and leave for his/her home. However, it is necessary to get up and walk out.
Therefore, he/she is unable to avoid leaving but manages to stay behind for an excessively long time and, therefore, overstays his/her welcome.
Examples:
- He’s such a lollygagger. He won’t get up in time.
- I can’t go to a party with a lollygagger. We’d sleep there
Obsessive
‘Obsessive’ is an adjective that may be used to qualify a person who stays too long at a place or occasion. However, obsession is not a necessary quality of someone who has overstayed his/her welcome.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, an obsessive person is one who is unhealthily fixated on a place, person, or idea.
An obsessive person can be focused on a place and unwilling to let go of the place. This can be a characteristic of someone who has overstayed his/her welcome.
It is more suitable to use obsessive if a person is allowed to stay temporarily with you or in a place but is intentionally staying longer than expected. He/she may have gotten used to the place and is unwilling to leave.
Examples:
- I can’t let him stay with me. He’s quite obsessive.
- He gets obsessive in situations like this.
Slowpoke
The word, ‘Slowpoke’, can be compared to ‘Laggard’ and ‘lollygagger’. A slowpoke is someone who is lazy and slow to make decisions. This word can refer to a person who has overstayed his/her welcome if you believe it’s due to slowness in the decision to leave.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a slowpoke is a person who moves slowly or takes a long time to do something. A slowpoke is lazy and often unwilling to get active so he/she is slow in getting tasks done.
On an occasion, a slowpoke may be slow to consider the time to leave. He/she may also be slow to decide when to get up and leave.
While a slowpoke can overstay at parties, occasions, and visits, a person who has overstayed his/her welcome is not necessarily a slowpoke.
Examples:
- He won’t leave in time. He’s a slowpoke.
- I’m a slowpoke when it comes to leaving parties.
Dawdler
A dawdler is a person who hangs around idly. This is a common characteristic of people who stay too long in a place. When a person dawdles, he/she gets engrossed in idle plays and wastes time
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a dawdler is a person who spends time idly and unfruitfully to waste time.
The definition of ‘dawdle’ is ‘to spend time without haste or purpose’. Dawdling has to do with wasting time walking or standing idly.
Dawdling is a feature of a loiterer or a ‘dawdler’.
Examples:
- Has the dawdler left the hall??
- Who is the dawdler in the field? Tell him we have to shut the gates.
Dilly-dallier
A dilly-dallier is a person who dilly-dallies. Dilly-dallying has to do with lazing around, wasting time, and postponing necessary effort. It is a synonym of Lollygagger. This word can be used to address a person who stands or walks around idly after an occasion.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a dilly-dallier is a person who wastes time and procrastinates. You can expect a dilly-dallier to overstay his/her welcome when he/she continues to postpone departure.
Examples:
- He’s a dilly-dallier. He should have left since forever.
- I don’t want to be a dilly-dallier. I’ll be leaving tomorrow.
Delayer
A delayer is someone who delays in doing things or making decisions. This can be used to refer to a person who has overstayed their welcome. A person may be expected to stay temporarily in a place. If he/she delays, then he/she is likely to overstay.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a delayer is a person who procrastinates or delays. A delayer may be taking too long to decide to leave a place or be reluctant to make a move.
Examples:
- He’s a delayer. We can’t go with him.
- She always overstays her welcome. She’s a delayer.
Lounger
A person who has overstayed his/her welcome can be called a Lounger. A Lounger is a person who has gotten comfortable in a place.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a Lounger is a person who lounges i.e. reclines idly. When a person reclines idly at a party, he/she can get too comfortable at an occasion and lose track of time.
Examples:
- He’s a Lounger at parties.
- I’m a Lounger so I’d prefer to go with someone who’s time-conscious.
Loafer
A loafer is someone who would rather relax than work or put in any effort at all. You can use this to refer to a person who has overstayed their welcome.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a loafer is simply an idle person. It refers to a person who is prone to relaxing and getting comfortable. A loafer can get comfortable in the house of another person and forget to consider leaving.
Examples:
- I don’t want a visit from a loafer. He won’t leave.
- I’m not a loafer. It’s time to leave.
Lazybones
Lazybones refers to a person who is lazy and idle. Like Loafer, it refers to someone who can get comfortable enough to lose track of time on an occasion.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Lazybones refers to a person who is inactive or without ambition. A Lazybones can relax at a party, having no place to go after, and will most likely lose track of time.
Examples:
- The Lazybones don’t want to leave the house anymore.
- I’m not a lazybones. I just can’t work at the moment.
While there is no specific word for someone who has overstayed his/her welcome, there are many words you can address such a person with, including Lingerer, Loiterer, Dawdler, Procrastinator, Obsessive, etc.
