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
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
Scientists are eager to bring Perseverance's haul — the 10 sample tubes dropped onto the crater floor in 2023 — back to laboratories on Earth, but their return remains uncertain as NASA's troubled Mars Sample Return program languishes in limbo.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 19 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
The music, perhaps accordingly, sometimes languishes in a middle zone of wistful genre exercises.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
Only Kordia — mischaracterized by the government, largely overlooked by the public and caught in a legal maze — languishes in detention.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
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
Scientists are eager to bring Perseverance's haul — the 10 sample tubes dropped onto the crater floor in 2023 — back to laboratories on Earth, but their return remains uncertain as NASA's troubled Mars Sample Return program languishes in limbo.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 19 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
The music, perhaps accordingly, sometimes languishes in a middle zone of wistful genre exercises.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
Only Kordia — mischaracterized by the government, largely overlooked by the public and caught in a legal maze — languishes in detention.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languishes
Verb
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Support for DiCaprio fades, and Day-Lewis wins his third Oscar.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Energy drinks can give you a quick burst of energy, but that boost often fades fast.—
Laura Dorwart,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Dark money significantly weakens democracy.—
Willie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Even as the wealth tax debate weakens Khanna’s support among Silicon Valley heavyweights, this may not be enough to unseat him, Maviglio said, noting the tax would affect fewer than 250 people in the state.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their constant companion in the campaign is the Amazona 180 bag that made its debut on the Loewe runway last October, a slouchy, one-handle style that sags open when left unzipped.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Unlike your average and typical pillow that sags over time, this one has hotel-like appeal because of its precise border for a structured, refined look.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The experience stands out, either because of some exceptional food items or an aspect of hospitality that goes above and beyond.—
Henri Hollis,
AJC.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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Since speed dating only made Taylor more nervous, Jessi goes ahead and hires the dating coach who organized the speed-dating event to give Taylor some one-on-one tutelage.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the Senate fails to pass it, what happens?—
Allison Pecorin,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Finally, the court will determine whether the TPS holders equal-protection claim fails on the merits.—
Zoe Sobel,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Battered by bombs and torpedoes, the USS California slowly sinks into Pearl Harbor.—
Stephen Smith,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Astin sinks into his pathetic character with full commitment, but the running gag about Ron getting more upset about the possibility of being banned from the fast-food restaurant than anything else is hammered so relentlessly that the character just seems mentally challenged.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Languishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languishes. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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