as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 languish
Bruce Fuller, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
As the years rolled by, the project languished.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 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
Turning a blind eye to our languishing children, President Donald Trump slashes education spending, harming disabled pupils and denying families relief from college debt.
—Bruce Fuller, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
As the years rolled by, the project languished.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 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
-
There are no darker days in a season than the ones that see relegation confirmed and for Southampton, listless for so much of this Premier League campaign, the moment arrived on Sunday.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
When intentionally chosen, the right scent can even shift your mood—lifting you out of a listless haze or helping ease a frantic pace.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Though authorities in South Yorkshire and centrally were to blame for the disaster, some of the deceased were still fighting for their lives when those responsible started shifting the focus away from their own failings, buttressed by support from craven sections of the media.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
It is meant as a critique of the ideological gatekeepers who may, for example, blame voters for their party’s failings rather than the party itself.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But people here are tired of seeing Farmington in the headlines as a town that's losing population.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
-
And there’s kids who are tired, or crying or can’t handle it.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This is why people often feel exhausted after a day filled with interruptions, even if the total workload was manageable.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
King Charles can't get involved in Prince Harry's security woes: author Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of ‘My Mother and I,’ explains why the monarch is too exhausted to deal with his younger son’s ongoing court battle.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
So is falling asleep on one’s back, with legs limp and stomach exposed.—
Sarah Matusek,
Christian Science Monitor,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Giving your peace too much water can also harm your plant by causing the leaves to turn limp and yellow.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Weak Treasury Demand Moved Rates More recently, in the wake of the administration’s chaotic trade policy rollout, Treasury security auctions did not go as expected, with weak demand pushing rates up higher than everyone expected.—
Norbert Michel,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
That’s why he’s been able to generate so much weak contact over the years.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This may further contribute to a deterioration in hard data and usher in an economic recession.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2025
-
That led to a deterioration of ties with Pakistan, which also claims the region.—
Fayaz Bukhari,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The show had a languid pace, with long tributes to individual nominees from presenters and a choreographed musical homage to James Bond and the Broccoli family, which took on a weird undertone in the wake of the sale of creative control of the property to Amazon-MGM.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
2 Mar. 2025
-
On Blue Veil, the British composer coaxes earthy tremors from the cello, turning the sound of bow scrapes and resonant harmony into a languid psychic expanse.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share