LANGUISHES Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

languishes

verb

present tense third-person singular of languish

as in fades

to lose bodily strength or vigor older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave

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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 languishes Trump will host crypto executives at the White House on Wednesday as that measure, which would enshrine the current SEC’s approach, languishes in the Senate. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Wait on Weed Control High heat causes many types of weeds to flourish while turf grass languishes. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2026 As its stock languishes below its IPO price — at press time, $131 — short sellers are going all in against the company, hoping to make a killing off of CEO Elon Musk’s faltering pull on investors. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 16 July 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for languishes

Verb

Biologically, a plant starts to prepare for seed production once a flower fades.

— Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026
The background star gradually brightens and then fades as the two stars move out of alignment.

— Thomas Fauchez, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of fades

Verb

Unfortunately, using too little paint will leave patchy areas and harsh lines, and using too much paint will promote drips and paint that sags.

— Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 6 July 2026
There is no scrapeable archive of how to grasp a wet cup, unload a box that sags in the middle, fold a towel, or help an older adult out of a chair.

— Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Definition of sags

Verb

Now a new Cherry Orchard, the work of another Australian auteur, Simon Stone, has put down roots in the cavernous drill hall of the Park Avenue Armory, and the angry young tutor goes even further.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Well, there’s one later episode that really does a deep dive into Andrew’s perspective and his experience of life that goes between a couple of different time periods of his life.

— Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of goes

Verb

If all else fails, go limp and curl up into the fetal position, protecting your head and core with your arms and legs.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
Whichever team fails to take the division may land on the outside of the playoff picture, so Houston still has plenty to play for.

— Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of fails

Verb

Or its lazy gaze and obsession with gloss over lived-in texture, which sinks its moments of violence into forgettable trifles?

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
But what sinks the latter two shows is that voters still seem to be resistant toward honoring works of science-fiction.

— Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of sinks

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“Languishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languishes. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of languishes

verb

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