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 fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in failing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of languishing
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 July 2025
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Khalil, who is now back with his young family, describes the months languishing in a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, and the pain of being denied permission to be present at his son’s birth.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
Red Bull has been struggling for form this year, currently languishing in fourth place in the championship and reigning world champ Max Verstappen sitting in an uncomfortable third place in the driver’s title.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Directly south of Uptown Plaza, the One Camelback conversion project from an office to an apartment complex has languished and was bought out of foreclosure in 2023, but little work has happened since then.
—Corina Vanek, AZCentral.com, 7 July 2025
With the men’s national team languishing at 94th in the FIFA rankings and likely to miss out on the next World Cup, the robots at least know how to put on a show — and score.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 June 2025
Meanwhile, South Korea stands out as Asia’s best performer amid the region’s divergent performances, while Thailand, Turkey, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia languish at the bottom of the global rankings.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 July 2025
Without these, even the most advanced models may languish in obscurity.
—Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
He's also languished in the inky shadow of mystery that director Christopher Nolan brought to D.C.’s other major superhero, Batman, starting with Batman Begins.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 8 July 2025
Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
The projects included $10 million for the redevelopment of the languishing Enfield Square mall.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2025
Obsessed with being seen as a proper Southern Belle, Blanche often lays around the apartment draped in her finest frocks, or takes long languishing baths even amid the suffocating heat of a Louisiana summer.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
United endured its worst-ever Premier League season last year and is on course to set a new low this term, with the team currently languishing in the bottom half of the standings.
—James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
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
The Bruins are languishing in seventh in the eight-team Atlantic Division at 28-28-8.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Grab a can of crushed pineapple and those bananas languishing on the counter and give the recipe a try yourself.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Beyond the high amount of short activity, the stock was perceived as a bargain by contrarian meme traders, having languished in single digits for months.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 23 July 2025
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Khalil, who is now back with his young family, describes the months languishing in a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, and the pain of being denied permission to be present at his son’s birth.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
Red Bull has been struggling for form this year, currently languishing in fourth place in the championship and reigning world champ Max Verstappen sitting in an uncomfortable third place in the driver’s title.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Directly south of Uptown Plaza, the One Camelback conversion project from an office to an apartment complex has languished and was bought out of foreclosure in 2023, but little work has happened since then.
—Corina Vanek, AZCentral.com, 7 July 2025
With the men’s national team languishing at 94th in the FIFA rankings and likely to miss out on the next World Cup, the robots at least know how to put on a show — and score.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 June 2025
Meanwhile, South Korea stands out as Asia’s best performer amid the region’s divergent performances, while Thailand, Turkey, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia languish at the bottom of the global rankings.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 July 2025
Without these, even the most advanced models may languish in obscurity.
—Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
He's also languished in the inky shadow of mystery that director Christopher Nolan brought to D.C.’s other major superhero, Batman, starting with Batman Begins.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 8 July 2025
Noun
The benchmark is currently languishing at about half that level.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
The projects included $10 million for the redevelopment of the languishing Enfield Square mall.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2025
Obsessed with being seen as a proper Southern Belle, Blanche often lays around the apartment draped in her finest frocks, or takes long languishing baths even amid the suffocating heat of a Louisiana summer.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
United endured its worst-ever Premier League season last year and is on course to set a new low this term, with the team currently languishing in the bottom half of the standings.
—James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
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
The Bruins are languishing in seventh in the eight-team Atlantic Division at 28-28-8.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Grab a can of crushed pineapple and those bananas languishing on the counter and give the recipe a try yourself.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languishing
Adjective
-
But more than any event other than the multiple indictments, DeSantis’s White House bid lit a fire under Trump and his initially listless campaign.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
2 July 2025
-
Mackey, raven-haired and listless in a bikini top and cigarette in hand, is camera-genic enough to make for an appealing heroine.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Here’s a breakdown of those two failings and their ramifications.—
Eric Siegel,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
At their best, critics are in touch with their own personal strengths and failings, and work as interpreters and contextualizers for the rest of us.—
Charlotte Runcie
July 10,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
To anyone tired of dysfunction, this is a new beginning.—
Mike Levin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 July 2025
-
Cosmetic procedures were once only whispered about, carefully timed around the holidays to create the illusion that a restful getaway had erased wrinkles, brightened tired eyes and restored a youthful, refreshed look.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
Pop music, like the rest of American society, has reached the exhausted endpoint of the taboo-litigation mania that’s marred the past decade of our national life.—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
25 July 2025
-
You’re exhausted in the morning and energized by the afternoon.—
Kelly Stiefel Arias,
Kansas City Star,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Sophie ends the call before pushing Kyle’s limp body over the side of the cliff.—
Nicole Briese,
People.com,
23 July 2025
-
So, if a shark goes limp in one of these spots, especially upside down, it could get stuck or injured.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Witness the rally in the railroads last week that crushed shorts banking on weaker transport earnings.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 July 2025
-
This weak cash generation capability raises questions about the company’s ability to fund growth investments and return capital to shareholders.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
The art replaces a previous one that was located on Lake Street and removed in 2018 because of deterioration.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
-
Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
At its heart lies a cauldron-style swimming pool, softly lit by floating lanterns and flanked by royal loungers that invite hours of languid repose.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
-
Keep to the languid vibe alive with beaded jewelry and something crochet.—
Kerry Pieri,
Vogue,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Languishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languishing. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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