languish

Definition of languishnext
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of languish But only in one of those years did the measure get the needed two-thirds supermajority, so the matter languished. ABC News, 10 June 2026 But the market has never trusted that the gap can be bridged, and the stock has been languishing below NAV for much of its history. Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 8 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for languish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languish
Verb
  • Just faded to a dark backdrop of the forgotten.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 June 2026
  • After Flowering As soon as the blooms fade, cut the flower stalk at the stalk base on an angle using sharp pruners, says Eric Nieusma, co-owner of Maine Hill Farm.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s consumer spending slowdown persisted in June, with growth during one of the country’s largest online shopping festivals weakening sharply from a year earlier.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 23 June 2026
  • All three of those protagonists have been weakened in their roles by what has gone on.
    Nasser Hussain, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • The Phillies duo followed up their historic night on Saturday in which Schwarber hit three home runs and Harper hit for the cycle, by both going deep against the Mets again.
    CBS News, CBS News, 22 June 2026
  • How airlines and airports can do better Maglione and Riccobono both said that training and implementing new technology can go a long way toward improving the flying experience for blind travelers.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • Trump’s sagging approval rating comes as Democrats have a chance at outperforming Republicans in midterms, with Emerson’s May poll showing Democrats with a 9-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot, though 9% of voters were undecided.
    Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Teachers use it as a behavioral bargaining chip, administrators weigh playtime against sagging test scores and researchers argue over how best to structure the minutes.
    Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • With one out in the sixth and Nick Loftin at third, Tolbert twice failed to get down safety-squeeze bunts.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026
  • Ryan Ward scored the winning run after Baltimore catcher Samuel Basallo failed to catch right fielder Tyler O’Neill’s throw to the plate.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • That number shrank to 9,643 the next year and 2,126 in 1992, before sinking to as few as a few dozen per year in the early 2000s.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • The question worth watching is whether the Bank of Korea ultimately raises rates, and how much further the bond market has to fall before the two sides of the AI trade, the soaring shares and the sinking sovereign, find a level that can hold.
    Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Uzbekistan, playing in its first World Cup, was not intimidated by the big stage, weathering a withering Colombia attack in a 3-1 loss.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • White evangelical churches—revivalists, under Sutton’s classification system—experienced remarkable growth, while liberal mainline Protestant churches withered.
    Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

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