languish

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 The case languished for several years until the Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade. Melissa Quinn july 3, CBS News, 3 July 2025 As of late April, nearly 900 claims had been pending for more than one year, more than triple the number from five years ago, with a small number languishing for a decade. Ryan J. Foley, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 Others remain behind bars Many other prominent dissidents still languish in Belarusian jails, among them Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, a human rights advocate serving a 10-year prison sentence on charges widely denounced as politically motivated. Yuras Karmanau, Christian Science Monitor, 21 June 2025 Many other prominent dissidents still languish in Belarusian jails, among them Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, a human rights advocate serving a 10-year prison sentence on charges widely denounced as politically motivated. Yuras Karmanau, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for languish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languish
Verb
  • The celestial trio will remain close to each other throughout the night, with Saturn and Neptune eventually fading from sight in the southern sky when the sun rises on July 16.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 15 July 2025
  • The brand recommends avoiding dabbing or blotting after applying the spray, as this can cause the fragrance to break down and fade.
    Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is 86 years-old and his political power is weakened following the short war with Israel.
    Jackie Northam, NPR, 9 July 2025
  • The June jobs report showed strong headline numbers, but the underlying data pointed to a weakening labor market.
    Danny Bakst, Fortune, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • The story goes that the robbery occurred in broad daylight while occupants of Villa Nellcôte watched TV, having reportedly been conducted by Marseille drug dealers that Richards was said to have owed money to.
    Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 15 July 2025
  • The Monday night downpour went viral on social media after the rain inundated the 28th St. station on the No. 1 subway train, causing major late-night delays.
    Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Then there’s the reverse extreme: nipple reduction — long, protruding, often sagging nipples that are the consequence of breastfeeding.
    Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2025
  • The vinyl rain gutter sagged and melted, its plastic material flapping in the wind like a flag, and the window shattered shortly after, letting the flames enter the interior.
    Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • Khanna's measure failed on a 5-7 vote in the House Rules Committee, though Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina voted with Democrats.
    Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 15 July 2025
  • The agency failed to answer thousands of calls from flood survivors after allowing contracts for call-center workers to lapse one day after the disaster, according to The New York Times.
    Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Barratt Redrow shares sank sharply on Tuesday morning, after the FTSE 100 company warned that legacy issues would hit profits and announced lower-than-expected completions for the last financial year.
    Royston Wild, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • In his view, that’s why the dollar sank 10% against other top global currencies in the first half of the year, marking the greenback’s worst such performance since 1953.
    Danny Bakst, Fortune, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • So why do people like Winfrey, Disney, Cuban and Schumacher flourish after setbacks while others wither?
    Dr. Angélica S. Gutiérrez, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • As football in the south bloomed, at the other end of the country Wrexham were withering away in the non-League.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 9 July 2025

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“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

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