languish
verb
lan·guish
ˈlaŋ-gwish 
languished; languishing; languishes
1
a
: to be or become feeble, weak, or enervated
Plants languish in the drought.
b
: to be or live in a state of depression or decreasing vitality
languished in prison for ten years
2
a
: to become dispirited
b
: to suffer neglect
the bill languished in the Senate for eight months
3
: to assume an expression of grief or emotion appealing for sympathy
languished at him through screwed-up eyes—
Edith Wharton
Edith WhartonSynonyms
Examples of languish in a Sentence
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
Recent Examples on the Web
At the same time, Kamala Harris was languishing as a low-profile sidekick to President Joe Biden.
—Chris Megerian, Twin Cities, 4 Nov. 2024
Ten Hag was sacked following United’s 2-1 defeat at West Ham on Sunday, a result that left the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League with just 11 points from nine games.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
The Paperwork Reduction Act: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 established the Information Collection Budget (ICB), but this too has languished.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Daniel, alas, was left to languish in the coal pits.
—Jack King, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
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Chris Megerian, Twin Cities, 4 Nov. 2024
Ten Hag was sacked following United’s 2-1 defeat at West Ham on Sunday, a result that left the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League with just 11 points from nine games.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
The Paperwork Reduction Act: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 established the Information Collection Budget (ICB), but this too has languished.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Daniel, alas, was left to languish in the coal pits.
—Jack King, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for languish
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Dictionary Entries Near languish
Cite this Entry
“Languish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/languish. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
languish
verb
lan·guish
ˈlaŋ-gwish
1
: to become weak or languid : waste away
languish in prison
2
: to suffer neglect
a bill languishing in the Senate
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