languish 1 of 4

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

languishing

2 of 4

adjective

languishing

3 of 4

noun

languishing

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of languish

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
Verb
And, today, White House stenographers still record every word Trump utters, but many of their transcriptions are languishing in the White House press office without authorization for release — meaning there’s no official record of what the president says for weeks, if at all. Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025 Talks to end the three-year war in Ukraine have languished in recent months, despite a U.S. drive to materialize Trump’s pledge to achieve peace urgently. Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 19 May 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
  • The listless Yankees stranded a total of four runners and went 0-for-5 with men in scoring position.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025
  • Game 6 was so confounding because the Celtics just looked listless from the start.
    The Athletic NBA Staff, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • Other criminals who commit violent acts are perhaps more at ease with their moral failings.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
  • People working on Apple’s smart glasses remain concerned that its AI failings may undermine the new product.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • While infants and toddlers between the ages of 0 to 2 years are more likely to experience a stuffy nose, cough, poor appetite, fussiness, and sleep problems, children between the ages of 3 to 5 years mainly complain of sleepiness, feeling tired during daytime, low energy and dry cough.
    Anuradha Varanasi, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • Family members said Jacobs had talked about feeling tired, but not about wanting to take his own life.
    Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Some of them wanted to dance, some spent time with their families, others just looked exhausted.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • But now, a quieter trend is taking hold in exhausted households nationwide: revenge meals.
    Christine Michel Carter, Parents, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • An apparent dog walker is seen in the video dragging a limp dog with a leash in front of the Priceless Pets no-kill pet rescue.
    City News Service, Oc Register, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • In addition to a weak critical reception, the film became mired in controversy due to political comments made by lead actress Rachel Zegler in the run-up to its release; the casting of a Latina actress as the titular character; and the use of CGI to reimagine the seven dwarfs.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
  • Global Blue's weak February European shopper data released on March 5 did indeed work as a catalyst.
    Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • They are then transported to the Berkhamsted conservation center, where their condition is examined for deterioration.
    Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • Nationwide, the ramifications of deportation for these key citizens will affect all of us, which can lead to deterioration of our healthcare system, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health aides, etc.
    Rachel Blumberg, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • However unpredictable the weather was, brisk one moment then warm and languid the next, the AFW showgoers still set out to celebrate all of summer’s biggest trends.
    Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

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