languish

1 of 2

verb

lan·​guish ˈlaŋ-gwish 

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 eyes.

—Edith Wharton

languisher noun

languishingly

ˈlaŋ-gwi-shiŋ-lē 

adverb

languishment

ˈlaŋ-gwish-mənt 

noun

languisher

2 of 2

noun

lan·​guish·​er

-shə(r)

plural -s

: one that languishes

Synonyms of languish

Verb

• fade
• weaken
• go
• sag
• fail
• sink
• wither

Examples of languish in a Sentence

Verb

older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

This encouraging performance could accelerate his comeback, even as the Blue Jays languish in last place in the AL East. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

In vivid strokes of saffron orange and seafoam green watercolors, Wilson rendered a vibrant portrait of herself plundering birthday cake by the handful as party guests languished around the frame. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 26 July 2026

Dozens of immigrants who were previously detained for months at Alligator Alcatraz are now languishing and enduring horrible treatment at the Federal Detention Facility in Downtown Miami. — Thomas Kennedy, Sun Sentinel, 26 July 2026

Trump’s approval rating on the American economy has been languishing, and the latest import taxes could push those ratings further down. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

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

Rhymes for languish

• anguish

Kids 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

languishment

-mənt 

noun