What does it mean to feign illness or incapacity in order to avoid duty or work?

Feigning illness or incapacity to avoid duty or work is referred to as malingering. This term specifically describes a situation where an individual intentionally simulates or exaggerates health issues, whether physical or mental, to escape responsibilities or obligations, particularly in a work or military context. Malingering is often viewed negatively, as it involves deception and can undermine trust and integrity in professional environments.

The other options encompass different concepts: mitigate refers to reducing the severity or seriousness of something, obfuscate means to make something unclear or difficult to understand, and obviate denotes the act of removing or preventing something. None of these terms capture the specific act of pretending to be ill to evade responsibilities. Hence, malingering is the most accurate choice in this context.