as in fades
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
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Recent Examples of languishes
Mars languishes low in morning twilight for the fifth month in a row.
—
Joe Rao, Space.com, 2 May 2026
In the second, supply balloons while demand languishes, which could happen if, for example, the AI bubble pops.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
No such luck with Imperfect Women, which languishes in the same genre space but is perfectly obvious in comparison, a series that solves its mystery halfway through the season but still keeps going.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Manu has found a home, but in the human world her mother languishes in a detention facility and her father, the head of a criminal enterprise, is known among her friends as a rebel who has disappeared and is assumed dead.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
Those that finish from first to eighth in the league phase will automatically go through, and while Barca currently languishes in 15th, a win could take them up into the threshold depending on how other results pan out.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Ditto for his team’s penalty kill, which languishes in the Eastern Conference basement.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
That blueprint has since become a template for developers eager to cultivate exclusivity while testing pricing in private and avoiding the public scrutiny of how many days a home languishes on the open market.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2025
However, more volatility could be in store as bitcoin languishes more than 30% below its record high and nerves linger about the yen carry trade.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
Joe Rao, Space.com, 2 May 2026
In the second, supply balloons while demand languishes, which could happen if, for example, the AI bubble pops.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
No such luck with Imperfect Women, which languishes in the same genre space but is perfectly obvious in comparison, a series that solves its mystery halfway through the season but still keeps going.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Manu has found a home, but in the human world her mother languishes in a detention facility and her father, the head of a criminal enterprise, is known among her friends as a rebel who has disappeared and is assumed dead.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 15 Feb. 2026
Those that finish from first to eighth in the league phase will automatically go through, and while Barca currently languishes in 15th, a win could take them up into the threshold depending on how other results pan out.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Ditto for his team’s penalty kill, which languishes in the Eastern Conference basement.
—Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
That blueprint has since become a template for developers eager to cultivate exclusivity while testing pricing in private and avoiding the public scrutiny of how many days a home languishes on the open market.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 22 Dec. 2025
However, more volatility could be in store as bitcoin languishes more than 30% below its record high and nerves linger about the yen carry trade.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languishes
Verb
-
Whether a play endures or fades is fickle.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
12 June 2026
-
Mattus notes that asters are a smart investment for September and October color when the rest of the garden fades.—
Rachel Silva,
Martha Stewart,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Breakage occurs when damage to the hair shaft weakens it, causing strands to snap off.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
8 June 2026
-
Technology was partly to blame for creating an environment which magnifies prejudices and weakens critical thinking, Leo said.—
Joshua McElwee,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
As a result, the tournament typically sags in the middle, as neither comes close to losing.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
The roof flakes, the porch sags.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The store is 8,000 square feet with plenty of options to choose from as far as merch goes, including jerseys, Funko Pops, soccer balls and more.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
-
In testimony before the House Committee on Ways and Means, Sheila Clark, President and CEO of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association, warned that the damage goes far beyond the theft of tax dollars.—
Wes Kilgore,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
If a potential winner fails to respond to notification, fails to return required documents on time, is found to be ineligible, or otherwise fails to comply with these Official Rules, the prize may be forfeited and awarded to an alternate, in Sponsor’s discretion.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
8 June 2026
-
Different 'tools' if diplomacy fails Vance did not rule out military fighting intensifying before the war ends, if months of negotiations fail to produce a deal.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
That movie ‘Titanic’ is about a boat that sinks.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
6 June 2026
-
Patel doesn’t think that sinks the frontier labs, and says that cutting-edge technology will remain valuable.—
Jasmine Wu,Deirdre Bosa,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Languishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languishes. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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