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
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
Since her death, much of her work has languished in a storage locker, dusted off only for a small local exhibition in 2015.
—
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
But despite the national fervor inspired by the death of the leader who was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, legislation to honor him languished for years, according to the National Constitution Center.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2025
The cases, all involving crimes of various severity, had languished in the system.
—Kallie Cox, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025
The proposal, introduced in 2023, has languished in committee without a hearing.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for languish 
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
But despite the national fervor inspired by the death of the leader who was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, legislation to honor him languished for years, according to the National Constitution Center.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2025
The cases, all involving crimes of various severity, had languished in the system.
—Kallie Cox, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025
The proposal, introduced in 2023, has languished in committee without a hearing.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for languish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languish
Verb
-
But that enthusiasm quickly faded as Maximilien Robespierre and Madame de Guillotine took charge.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Signs of the labor market weakening more than expected contributed to that decision at the time, but those fears have since faded.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In the bond market, Treasury yields fell after a report said sales at U.S. retailers weakened by much more last month than economists expected.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2025
-
His executive order, unless reversed by the courts, will encourage greater corruption in Latin America, hurting the region’s economies, weakening democratic institutions and making countries poorer.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Hathaway's seconds-long appearance quickly went viral on social media as fans embraced the cheerful clip.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
-
That would come on top of a 10% across-the-board tariff that went into effect last week on top of other tariffs on Chinese goods and stricter 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum that Trump announced Monday.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Thus, too much glycation caused by excess sugar can result in accelerated signs of aging, like lines, wrinkles, dark spots and sagging skin.—
Leslie Baumann,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2025
-
Rather, an eerie gloom sagged atop everything, an acknowledgement that somewhere, something had stopped being right.—
Megan Feringa,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The effort to begin a partition with the Gaza Strip has failed colossally.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
-
At best, presidents picked up-and-coming party devotees like Elaine Chao, a shameless pro-boss hack, or Tom Perez, a nice guy for sure, who failed to deliver any significant gains for blue-collar America.—
John Samuelsen,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Hungary’s democracy resembled a single-compartment ship that needed to be punctured at only one point to sink.—
BÁLINT MADLOVICS,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Cheers sank both free throws for a 46-45 lead, and Marion was able to drain the clock down to 4.7 seconds left, when Morgan split a pair of free throws.—
Chuck Livingston Special to the Democrat-Gazette,
arkansasonline.com,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Before October 7, 2023, when the Gaza Strip was still intact, polls showed that popular support for Hamas had been withering for some time.—
Scott Atran,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The flowers are generally only open for a day or two before withering.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to languish
Thesaurus Entries Near languish
Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languish. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share