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 WhartonExamples of languish in a Sentence
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
Recent Examples on the Web
In April, the moderate Democrat was languishing in the single digits in several polls.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 6 June 2026
As recently as April, polls were showing Becerra — also a former member of Congress and California attorney general — languishing in single digits in a crowded field.
—Marisa Lagos, NPR, 6 June 2026
The House's effort to circumvent leadership on support for Ukraine comes as bipartisan legislation in the Senate to impose new economic sanctions on Russia has languished for more than a year, with senators waiting for a green light from the White House.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 5 June 2026
Opponents counter contribution Peverill Squire, a retired University of Missouri political scientist, said there have been numerous attempts to increase transparency in how money flows into state campaigns, but those efforts have largely languished.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for languish
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.
Terry Collins, USA Today, 6 June 2026
As recently as April, polls were showing Becerra — also a former member of Congress and California attorney general — languishing in single digits in a crowded field.
—Marisa Lagos, NPR, 6 June 2026
The House's effort to circumvent leadership on support for Ukraine comes as bipartisan legislation in the Senate to impose new economic sanctions on Russia has languished for more than a year, with senators waiting for a green light from the White House.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 5 June 2026
Opponents counter contribution Peverill Squire, a retired University of Missouri political scientist, said there have been numerous attempts to increase transparency in how money flows into state campaigns, but those efforts have largely languished.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for languish
Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languish. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
