as in faded
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 languished
Amir Hossein Ganjbakhsh, a political activist based in the United States, advocates for bringing Pahlavi’s supporters together with those of Mirhossein Mousavi, the former prime minister who became the symbolic leader of the Green Movement and has languished under house arrest since 2011.
—
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
The president’s signature economic policy has long languished in the polls, and by a wide margin.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
That talks languished for various reasons, and Preller’s long-term status was undetermined as spring training began.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party had languished in the opposition for much of the last decade; its leader, Tarique Rahman, went into exile in 2008 following corruption allegations.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
About 50 Cuban men sent to Guantánamo in December and January have languished at Camp 6.
—Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Much of the western US has languished in snow drought this winter due to unusually warm temperatures — meaning a slow start to the ski season and fears for summer water supplies.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
As a result, Patel languished in jail for more than six weeks without bond, his lawyers said.
—Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 9 Feb. 2026
One such bill passed in the House in 2024 but languished in the Senate.
—Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
The president’s signature economic policy has long languished in the polls, and by a wide margin.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
That talks languished for various reasons, and Preller’s long-term status was undetermined as spring training began.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party had languished in the opposition for much of the last decade; its leader, Tarique Rahman, went into exile in 2008 following corruption allegations.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
About 50 Cuban men sent to Guantánamo in December and January have languished at Camp 6.
—Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Much of the western US has languished in snow drought this winter due to unusually warm temperatures — meaning a slow start to the ski season and fears for summer water supplies.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
As a result, Patel languished in jail for more than six weeks without bond, his lawyers said.
—Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 9 Feb. 2026
One such bill passed in the House in 2024 but languished in the Senate.
—Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languished
Verb
-
For three decades, the hum of the table saw and the smell of machine oil faded from American high schools.—
Gerald Bradshaw,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Gingrich was eventually driven from the speakership; Buchanan left the Republican Party to run under the Reform Party, and then faded from public life.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Mutawa, as the religious police are known, had their powers significantly weakened in 2016.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Well, he's weakened the regulations on clean cars.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The first shot was a 3-pointer courtesy of James – to take a 107-106 lead – who found the 6-foot-3 shooting guard alone in the corner as Mathurin sagged away from the guard who had yet to attempt a shot.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Monster bamboo, bougainvillea, and banana plants crashed in from the roadside; a tin roof sagged under the weight of a gaggle of marabou storks; baboons plundered trash cans at a highway intersection.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Days after Guthrie went missing, TMZ was among the first to report on an initial note demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin for her safe return.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Mathurin, acquired from Indiana at the trade deadline, was 12 for 22 from the field, while Leonard went eight for 18 and scored at least 20 points for the 34th consecutive game.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The study said the debris could have come from a foreign ship that sank—given the lack of information from the Russian side, who could say?—
Ian Frazier,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
As revenue sank, the economy collapsed amid soaring inflation.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the aftermath of that storm, Wu’s public works department failed to get rid of the snow fast enough to unclog side streets and sidewalks, leaving pedestrians and motorists navigating a dangerous situation in Boston for days.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The poll’s release comes just days after the California Democratic Party held its annual state convention in San Francisco last weekend where the party failed to unite behind a single candidate.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Languished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languished. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
