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
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
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
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
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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
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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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Other criminals who commit violent acts are perhaps more at ease with their moral failings.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
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The military, which has ruled Pakistan for much of the country’s history, has long used hostility toward India to deflect from its own failings.—
AQIL SHAH,
Foreign Affairs,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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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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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
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All thanks to a blend of omegas 3, 6, and 9, which target dry, limp strands and restore hair’s lipid barrier for a plumped, voluminous curl pattern.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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That kind of hypocrisy on self-enrichment could become a weak point for the GOP and a clear opening for Democrats to attack.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 June 2025
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These weaker strains of the disease eventually sputtered out and went extinct.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Noun
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They are then transported to the Berkhamsted conservation center, where their condition is examined for deterioration.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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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
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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