languish

as in to fade
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 languish The property languished until Cruise and Abrams (now a producer) revived it with terms that were more favorable to the studio. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 May 2025 Unfortunately, the château and vineyards were decimated by phylloxera and continued to languish during World War I and World War II. Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 8 May 2025 The club have produced a disappointing season and currently languish ninth in the table. Emmet Gates, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025 To others, however, the increasing presence of luxury dog hotels in a city where over 300,000 households are languishing on the government's waitlist for adequate housing, is hard to stomach. Tommy Trenchard, NPR, 11 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for languish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languish
Verb
  • Advisors who can build trust and act as a central coordinator for these services are invaluable—and often become long-term partners even after the spotlight fades.
    Jason Katz, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
  • In a world that often forgets the victims once the headlines fade, Joseph Dedvukaj remains a constant force—a voice, a fighter, and a steady hand guiding people back toward wholeness.
    William Jones, USA Today, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • In Colorado, for example, several AI companies recently lobbied to delay and weaken the state’s landmark AI accountability legislation — a preview of what unchecked industry influence could look like under a regulatory freeze.
    Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
  • Growing same-store sales by 3%, fueled by an increase in customer transactions, in a three-month period marked by tariff uncertainty and weakening consumer sentiment is impressive.
    Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • In the first half, the Sparks (1-1) went toe-to-toe with the Lynx.
    Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
  • Belichick joins a rapidly changing sport and is taking over a roster ravaged by the transfer portal and NFL Draft, rebuilding on the fly and making $10 million a year to improve on the tenure of Mack Brown, his 73-year-old predecessor who went 44-33 in five seasons.
    David Ubben, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • While Donald Trump’s return sparked surges early in the year, including brief all-time highs across major tokens, prices have largely sagged.
    Catherine Baab, Quartz, 9 May 2025
  • Even when his overall approval ratings sagged, voters consistently gave him his highest marks on the economy.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • Earlier this year, after failing to meet its own October deadline for the rebate’s relaunch, the government passed a measure allowing producers to claim expenses accrued in the final months of 2024 and the start of 2025.
    Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 18 May 2025
  • Over the years, he’s placed a total of 48 tracks somewhere on the list, meaning nearly all of them have become top 10 smashes, with only a handful failing to rise into that uppermost region.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • Lean harder on the accelerator, Just a little further, just a little Faster, through the hellgate to the highway, With all its molten rubber and melting Asphalt sinking sharp and gumming the lungs.
    Rowan Ricardo Phillips, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
  • Not 30 seconds later, Rahm missed his at the 12th ... then failed to sink makeable birdie chances on 13, 14 and 15.
    Jordan Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • After having a portrait done by the talented painter Basil, Dorian longs for the picture to age and wither instead of him.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2025
  • Paramount has let its cable TV channels like MTV and VH1 wither with a lack of programming, though CBS remains relevant thanks to its sports and entertainment portfolio.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on languish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!