as in listless
lacking bodily energy or motivation
his lingering sickness left him languishing and uninterested in his usual activities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in failing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of languishing
Chad De Guzman, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
But other corners of the Argentine economy are languishing, and the president’s party got trounced in local elections earlier this month.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, Thirtysomething is still languishing in streaming purgatory, with the show only available to watch on DVD.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
The leader of a program pairing low-income criminal defendants with free attorneys is out of her job, after a shortage of lawyers in Alameda County delayed prosecutions and left defendants languishing for weeks at the Santa Rita Jail.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Julia, getting exasperated, asks if Adriana has checked in on her children, which is probably a much bigger thing than Adriana’s languishing music career.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
However, only months before that deadline, the effort is languishing.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
While socialites and celebrities once clamored to buy sprawling apartments at buildings like River House and 1 Sutton Place, co-ops in the area have been languishing on the market — often for years.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2025
Scott, Derek Jeter’s first Marlins draft pick, is languishing in his seventh year in the minors, now in the Royals’ system.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
The country ranks 118th among 148 economies, the lowest among G-7 members, in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, languishing particularly in the political empowerment metric.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
But other corners of the Argentine economy are languishing, and the president’s party got trounced in local elections earlier this month.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Unfortunately, Thirtysomething is still languishing in streaming purgatory, with the show only available to watch on DVD.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
The leader of a program pairing low-income criminal defendants with free attorneys is out of her job, after a shortage of lawyers in Alameda County delayed prosecutions and left defendants languishing for weeks at the Santa Rita Jail.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Julia, getting exasperated, asks if Adriana has checked in on her children, which is probably a much bigger thing than Adriana’s languishing music career.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
However, only months before that deadline, the effort is languishing.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
While socialites and celebrities once clamored to buy sprawling apartments at buildings like River House and 1 Sutton Place, co-ops in the area have been languishing on the market — often for years.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2025
Scott, Derek Jeter’s first Marlins draft pick, is languishing in his seventh year in the minors, now in the Royals’ system.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languishing
Adjective
-
In total, the men would spend 144 days aboard the listless vessel, until they were rescued June 15 by a Japanese fishing ship about 700 miles from Honolulu and 4,000 miles from Costa Rica.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Ohtani—the Dodgers’ 10-year, $700 million man—came into the game with one hit in the best-of-seven series against the listless Milwaukee Brewers, who now trail 3-0 after losing, 3-1, at Dodger Stadium Thursday night.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The editor of the Pine Bluff Commercial earned second place for commentary in a contest organized by America's Newspapers for his coverage of the failings of a city tax initiative that promised civic and economic restoration.—
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The new report only adds to a number of security failings exposed by the heist.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Even the combative Venezuela of eight years ago, where kids with homemade shields assembled in the streets day after day to battle the dictatorship’s goons, is a fading memory.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Cheney is remembered as a chief architect of the war in Iraq after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and a member of an old Republican Party guard that is quickly fading away.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Stein conducted experiments under James’s supervision, but quickly tired of studying her subjects’ responses and preferred talking with them and tracking their characters.—
Daphne Merkin,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
-
If tired, float or tread water until out of the rip current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Edmund Fitzgerald's sinking was quick.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Yet unlike the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, where many wealthy and influential passengers lost their lives, the Valbanera tragedy did not capture the public’s imagination and soon seemed to be forgotten.—
Raul A. Reyes,
NBC news,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
That goes even further than DESI's hints at weakening dark energy.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The central bank cut its benchmark rate for the second time this year at its most recent meeting, in part to help bolster the economy amid a weakening job market.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Several hours — and what was probably pounds of foundation — later, an exhausted Diaz had to get back to the New Orleans airport to catch his flight while the rest of the team was at the stadium.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also warned that exhausted, stressed and overworked controllers, many of whom have reported needing to get second jobs to cover bills while their paychecks are paused, could increase risks of issues arising at airports, and more have been calling in sick.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the old tool, the factors weren’t measured by a worsening, neutral or improving score.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Potential complications include sinus and ear infections; inflammation of the heart, brain or muscle tissues; multi-organ failure; sepsis or the worsening of chronic conditions like asthma.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Languishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languishing. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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