languished

past tense of languish

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 For 78 years, the boys’ story—and hundreds of others like it—had languished in storage. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Aug. 2026 Many sloths intended for display at the International Drive attraction languished and died by early this year in small cages inside an unheated warehouse. Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026 Originally conceived alongside their collaborations on those scores, the album languished as Jóhannsson’s film career exploded before ultimately being shelved after his death. Spin Staff, SPIN, 31 July 2026 In vivid strokes of saffron orange and seafoam green watercolors, Wilson rendered a vibrant portrait of herself plundering birthday cake by the handful as party guests languished around the frame. Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 26 July 2026 Occasionally, even, the lover dies—shot in bed, languished in a cave, or disappeared by the government. Literary Hub, 14 July 2026 The Costume Institute’s main dedicated galleries previously languished in the basement, and the department is responsible for raising most of its own budget each year, a task accomplished in large part by its annual fund-raiser, the starry Met Gala. Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 But the maneuver failed to budge Comcast’s listless stock, which has languished for years as its primary business lost thousands of broadband customers. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 Comcast’s stock has languished for years, reflecting Wall Street skepticism about its combination of content and distribution and its ability to compete with the likes of Netflix. Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languished
Verb
  • MarketWatch described it as one of SpaceX’s best days since coming public, while The Wall Street Journal said the shares jumped about 16% as lock-up fears faded.
    Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Sort clothing, shoes, and accessories according to an organization’s needs, and discard anything that’s stained, ripped, faded, or has holes, broken zippers, or missing buttons.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Except that the original ideas about the fundamental value of basic research have only been confirmed during this period, not weakened.
    Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But his father had come home later than usual, and his resolve had steadily weakened.
    Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Flags sagged in the rain and translucent ponchos billowed in the wind, but the sound of bagpipes and a booming sousaphone kept the crowd moving.
    Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The project is located not far from the former Pfizer headquarters on East 42nd Street, where structural columns buckled and floors sagged on July 7 during its conversion into roughly 1,600 apartments.
    Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Tommy Edman hit a three-run home run for the Dodgers, and Teoscar Hernández also went deep.
    Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The ceremony ultimately went ahead with an Elvis impersonator officiating as Kacie wore a white dress and white cowboy hat.
    Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • On their first two trips to the property, the enormity of the task at hand—and their utter naiveté in taking it on—sank in.
    Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 22 May 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Previous peace efforts between Turkey and the PKK have failed, most recently in 2015.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That would guarantee exclusive 45-day theatrical windows and a moratorium on distributing the movies on streaming services for at least 90 days, with potentially financial penalties if Paramount failed to hold up its end of the bargain.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Languished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languished. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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