languish

verb

lan·​guish ˈlaŋ-gwish How to pronounce languish (audio)
languished; languishing; languishes

intransitive verb

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 eyesEdith Wharton
languisher noun
languishingly adverb
languishment noun

Examples of languish in a Sentence

older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After the service languished for years, Intuit closed it in early 2024. Hugh Son, CNBC, 23 May 2025 Without it, they could be left languishing in the league table yet again next season. Alex Tabet, NBC news, 20 May 2025 That’s why a team that seems to be languishing in the middle of the standings is back in the top 10 of our Power Rankings. Levi Weaver, New York Times, 20 May 2025 Some homes and businesses bounced back relatively quickly, while others languished in complicated situations with insurance companies and a drought of cash flow. Gwen Rockwood, Arkansas Online, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for languish

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French languiss-, stem of languir, from Vulgar Latin *languire, from Latin languēre

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of languish was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languish. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

languish

verb
lan·​guish ˈlaŋ-gwish How to pronounce languish (audio)
1
: to become weak or languid : waste away
languish in prison
2
: to suffer neglect
a bill languishing in the Senate
languishment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on languish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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