as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
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Recent Examples of languish
Since the mid-1980s, when the nation (led by California) shut down public mental hospitals (a response to patient abuses and a tax-cutting move), that segment of the health care world has languished.
—
Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
Wendy's has also languished, losing 15% year to date.
—Itzel Franco, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026
The crisis left some defendants languishing in custody without attorneys, creating delays and concerns about their right to counsel and timely proceedings.
—David Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026
Printed in early February, the Senate bill has languished in committee and not reached the main floor.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for languish
Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
Wendy's has also languished, losing 15% year to date.
—Itzel Franco, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026
The crisis left some defendants languishing in custody without attorneys, creating delays and concerns about their right to counsel and timely proceedings.
—David Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026
Printed in early February, the Senate bill has languished in committee and not reached the main floor.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for languish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languish
Verb
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Scout seems insightful, based on its response to a question posed by The Associated Press about why one of Silicon Valley's brightest stars faded away a decade ago.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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This year's Oscars may be in the rearview mirror, but for one Detroit designer, the spotlight hasn't faded.—
Lauren Winfrey,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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Continuous support could theoretically weaken muscles, so experts advise mixing exo use with traditional ergonomics and exercise.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Having faced Big Ten physicality all season, first-year Iowa coach Ben McCollum’s team went toe to toe with Florida’s punishing front court.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
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Part of the money will also go toward expansion of Philander Smith's health education facilities, including space for soon-to-be radiologists and phlebotomists.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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James Madison used a sagging zone defense in the paint or a double-team on Strack in an attempt to slow down the Wildcats, but that left Strack’s teammates open for easy shots.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Release, for contouring and pressure relief; and Adaptive, to keep the bed from sagging.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit alleged that Bank of America failed to file suspicious activity reports, known as SARs, until after Epstein's death in 2019.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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During the next two and a half years, Beckham and various investors tried, and failed, to land a stadium deal.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Then 6-foot-11 Ruben Prey sank his fourth 3-pointer in four attempts, and suddenly the Red Storm were up 53-44.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Bitter divisions among House and Senate Republicans, however, ultimately sank the Senate's attempt to bring the impasse to an end.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Eventually though, Duke wore down the Saints with size and a withering second-half performance on the glass (30-13).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
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Despite withering airstrikes, officials see a weakened but more hard-line government in Tehran, backed by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps security forces.—
Ellen Nakashima,
Washington Post,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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