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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of languishing
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
29 Apr. 2026
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
After languishing for more than a year, Perry’s nomination for Chicago’s top federal law enforcement post was pulled, and Biden instead nominated her for federal district judge in 2024.
—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
But the market has never trusted that the gap can be bridged, and the stock has been languishing below NAV for much of its history.
—
Wael Mahdi,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
In April, the moderate Democrat was languishing in the single digits in several polls.
—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
As recently as April, polls were showing Becerra — also a former member of Congress and California attorney general — languishing in single digits in a crowded field.
—
Marisa Lagos,
NPR,
6 June 2026
And packaging languishing properties is a fairly common tactic, brokers say.
—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
2 June 2026
There’s Haley Stevens, a congresswoman backed by Chuck Schumer and AIPAC who is languishing in third place in the polls.
—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
Four days after his arrest, Williams filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that ICE — despite a detainer — had not issued a warrant to take him into custody and was languishing in the jail even after the agreement with the county allowing him to be kept there for 72 hours had lapsed.
—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 May 2026
Adjective
The skyway corridors with highest density sit directly atop the most languishing streetscapes, Spencer said, and vice versa.
—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
With statewide homebuying languishing near Great Recession lows, aggressive asking prices seem to spur certain California homes to sell quickly.
—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
29 Apr. 2026
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
With the stock still languishing in recent weeks, Jim argued that Meta needed to start moving in that direction.
—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
1 July 2026
After languishing for more than a year, Perry’s nomination for Chicago’s top federal law enforcement post was pulled, and Biden instead nominated her for federal district judge in 2024.
—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
But the market has never trusted that the gap can be bridged, and the stock has been languishing below NAV for much of its history.
—
Wael Mahdi,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
In April, the moderate Democrat was languishing in the single digits in several polls.
—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
As recently as April, polls were showing Becerra — also a former member of Congress and California attorney general — languishing in single digits in a crowded field.
—
Marisa Lagos,
NPR,
6 June 2026
And packaging languishing properties is a fairly common tactic, brokers say.
—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
2 June 2026
There’s Haley Stevens, a congresswoman backed by Chuck Schumer and AIPAC who is languishing in third place in the polls.
—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
Four days after his arrest, Williams filed a habeas corpus petition arguing that ICE — despite a detainer — had not issued a warrant to take him into custody and was languishing in the jail even after the agreement with the county allowing him to be kept there for 72 hours had lapsed.
—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languishing
Adjective
-
The length exacerbates all the rest of the series' sins, including a lack of emotional depth, gratuitous suffering and violence, long stretches of boring, listless plotting and extraneous characters.
-
Instead of the fantastical, even beautiful diaper sculptures, we were served the waste products of listless consumption.
Noun
-
The new documentary reveals some of the interpersonal and business conflicts that led to the disintegration of the classic EW&F line-up, boldly highlighting the various triumphs and failings of leader Maurice White who died in 2016 at age 74 from Parkinson’s disease.
-
These failings dated from 2012 to May 2025.
Verb
-
More than a week after the disaster, search-and-rescue operations remain active, though hopes of finding additional survivors are rapidly fading.
-
Thousands remain missing more than a week after the twin earthquakes struck Venezuela and hope for finding survivors is fading into and effort to recover remains.
Adjective
-
Depredation occurs when a shark steals an angler’s catch off their line, and Florida’s fishers are tired of it.
-
Pugh is tired of seeing her mom suffer by no fault of her own.
Noun
-
Finding the wreck Official records detailing Hōfuku Maru’s sinking were incomplete and inconsistent, Beckensall said.
-
Actual sinking exercises provide valuable data on structural damage, flooding, shock effects, and sinking behaviour.
Verb
-
Goldman Sachs predicts a sustained dollar weakening in 2026, driven by fiscal concerns and shifting global asset demand, marking a structural shift rather than a cyclical dip.
-
Ukrainian officials describe the strikes as a campaign to pressure Moscow to end the war by undermining its military logistics and supply lines and weakening its ability to mount assaults along the front.
Adjective
-
But Eustaquio moved — likely exhausted — in union with his team towards South Africa’s box.
-
Back-to-back overnights left Greenwald exhausted and depressed.
Noun
-
While alcohol may transiently improve mood and ease social anxiety, long-term alcohol use can lead to a worsening of mood, cognition and sleep, which can further compound use.
-
Limited evidence suggests that people with genetic deficiencies of CoQ10 who abruptly stop taking it can experience a worsening of kidney function.
Cite this Entry
“Languishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languishing. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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