as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in listless
lacking bodily energy or motivation
his lingering sickness left him languishing and uninterested in his usual activities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in failing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 languish
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025
The bill arrived in the Senate one day later but has languished ever since.
—Will Swaim, Oc Register, 1 June 2025
Ben Church, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Plans for a redevelopment of the languishing Enfield Square mall could get a crucial $10 million boost from a state economic development fund that could help lay the groundwork for razing the old mall and replacing it with apartments, hotels and new retail space.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for languish
Verb
Lawmakers of both parties have expressed intense anger over the hospital funding cut, saying that individuals with mental health issues are languishing in emergency rooms and jail cells due to a shortage of psychiatric hospital beds.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025
The bill arrived in the Senate one day later but has languished ever since.
—Will Swaim, Oc Register, 1 June 2025
Verb
United is currently languishing 14th in the Premier League and is on track to finish in its lowest league position in decades.
—Ben Church, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Plans for a redevelopment of the languishing Enfield Square mall could get a crucial $10 million boost from a state economic development fund that could help lay the groundwork for razing the old mall and replacing it with apartments, hotels and new retail space.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for languish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languish
Adjective
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The golf comedy, created by Jason Keller and starring Owen Wilson as a disgraced pro who discovers a teenage prodigy, is listless and uninspired despite its likable cast.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
3 June 2025
-
Jones shares the harrowing night his father lay listless on the floor in his home.—
Chris Dorsey,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Which, truth be told, seems like more than just a moral failing.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
15 June 2025
-
In the Obama years, the media lost all pretense of impartiality by cheering for our first Black president rather than telling the truth about his failings, especially in foreign affairs and budgeting.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Panthers survived an Aleksander Barkov delay of game penalty and McDavid slaloming through tired penalty killers only to be turned away by Bobrovsky’s stomach snow angel.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
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My therapist buffs and moisturizes my tired skin with nutrient-rich seaweed body polish and a firming mask before laying shiver-inducing strands of detoxifying fresh seaweed across my back.—
Katie Nanton,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Today’s discerning little travelers—and their (presumably) exhausted parents—demand more.—
Forbes Staff,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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The world watched, and so did Venezuela’s exhausted population, over 90% of whom, according to opposition data, believe Maduro lost.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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But in the resulting crash, as flames burst all around and the pilot’s bodies go limp, the camera in the cockpit finds Fielder, standing against the conflagration.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2025
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Bacchus, bone-dry, slumps in the center of a stagnant green pool clutching fistfuls of limp grapes; none of the fountains is turned on.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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In sum, there is a weak case, at best, for some kind of standardization of non-financial KPIs.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
-
These are usually towels that are thin and stitched with weak, subpar quality threads.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Respondents perceive a significant reduction in the probability of a severe deterioration in economic prospects.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
17 June 2025
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Rossetti had been working on the CONCERN Study, which had successfully developed an AI model to detect patient deterioration in the hospital setting.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Perhaps Goodman could withstand his sweatshop duties as a catcher while still producing the power its languid offense so desperately needs.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
6 June 2025
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The story’s epic scope is never matched by its languid unveiling, told in awkward conversation scenes where the pieces (and eyelines) don’t seem to fit.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 22 Jun. 2025.
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