languish
verb
lan·guish
ˈlaŋ-gwish 
languished; languishing; languishes
1
a
: to be or become feeble, weak, or enervated
Plants languish in the drought.
b
: to be or live in a state of depression or decreasing vitality
languished in prison for ten years
2
a
: to become dispirited
b
: to suffer neglect
the bill languished in the Senate for eight months
3
: to assume an expression of grief or emotion appealing for sympathy
languished at him through screwed-up eyes—
Edith Wharton
Edith WhartonSynonyms
Examples of languish in a Sentence
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
Recent Examples on the Web
Many large employers offered college tuition reimbursement, but workers had to pay the costs upfront, so the perk often languished unused.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 June 2024
At the end of the 19th century, Santos, 190 miles to the south, supplanted Paraty as the country’s primary coffee-exporting port, and the town began to languish.
—Nora Walsh, New York Times, 31 May 2024
Despite the growing numbers of asylum-seekers and migrants entering – and increasingly languishing – in Mexico in recent years, the topic of migration barely registers among Mexicans.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2024
Until the curriculum is changed, Maryland’s youth will continue to languish among the 10 states with the least Holocaust knowledge.
—Nicole Kashtan, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for languish 
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 June 2024
At the end of the 19th century, Santos, 190 miles to the south, supplanted Paraty as the country’s primary coffee-exporting port, and the town began to languish.
—Nora Walsh, New York Times, 31 May 2024
Despite the growing numbers of asylum-seekers and migrants entering – and increasingly languishing – in Mexico in recent years, the topic of migration barely registers among Mexicans.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2024
Until the curriculum is changed, Maryland’s youth will continue to languish among the 10 states with the least Holocaust knowledge.
—Nicole Kashtan, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for languish
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'languish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languish. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
languish
verb
lan·guish
ˈlaŋ-gwish
1
: to become weak or languid : waste away
languish in prison
2
: to suffer neglect
a bill languishing in the Senate
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