as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
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Recent Examples of languish
Only Kordia — mischaracterized by the government, largely overlooked by the public and caught in a legal maze — languishes in detention.
—
Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Attendance has obviously cratered as the team has languished at the bottom of the NL East.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
But other corners of the Argentine economy are languishing, and the president’s party got trounced in local elections earlier this month.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, Thirtysomething is still languishing in streaming purgatory, with the show only available to watch on DVD.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for languish
Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Attendance has obviously cratered as the team has languished at the bottom of the NL East.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
But other corners of the Argentine economy are languishing, and the president’s party got trounced in local elections earlier this month.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, Thirtysomething is still languishing in streaming purgatory, with the show only available to watch on DVD.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for languish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languish
Verb
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That legacy hasn’t faded, but the region feels freshly alive these days as chefs, artists, and creative entrepreneurs put down roots.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
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With spring bloomers like azaleas, wait to prune later in spring after the flowers have faded.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But with her coalition prospects in doubt, and the party weakened by scandal and voter frustration, her route to Japan’s top job is far from assured.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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Studies have found that, in some instances, background noise can weaken territorial responses in males.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Every time a product goes viral, trendsetters always start looking for the next iteration of it—from Sambas to now, Labubus.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
13 Oct. 2025
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Rush threw for 72 yards with an interception, while Huntley went 10-of-15 for 68 yards, while also rushing for 39 yards.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Protests about immigration and sagging ticket sales were among the reasons cited for the move, according to sources.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
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The whole pumpkin begins to sag as gray hairs emerge from every opening.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still down 20-17, the Razorbacks failed on fourth-and-5 from the Tennessee 25 later in the third quarter, and quarterback Taylen Green lost his second fumble of the game early in the fourth at the Arkansas 19.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Oct. 2025
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The following year, several lawmakers were accused of failing to report income or disclose kickbacks, deepening public frustration.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The rapid escalation of trade tensions sank US stocks on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq recorded their worst day since April.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
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His free-throw stroke looked good, buoyed by sinking all but two of his eight attempts.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Most of those who shaped or even marginally influenced the events of October 7th are gone, leaving Gaza’s authority withered to the point that even managing the hostages has become paralyzingly difficult.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
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That hope began to wither after a loss to the Vikings, and faded further when Saleh was fired when the team returned to New Jersey — a year to the day from Wednesday’s practice.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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