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
Sierra uprising For decades, Sierra College languished in the shadows of larger, more prominent junior college athletic programs in the greater Sacramento region, including American River College and Sacramento City College.
—Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 14 Feb. 2025
For several years, Herndon languished in Fulton Tower prison while his lawyers twice appealed his case to the Supreme Court.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
While the former feels intense pressure to provide for his family, the latter languishes as a result of a lifelong lack of love and encouragement.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
But for decades, fine china has been in decline, with fancy sets lining the shelves of thrift shops and languishing at estate sales.
—Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
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Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 14 Feb. 2025
For several years, Herndon languished in Fulton Tower prison while his lawyers twice appealed his case to the Supreme Court.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
While the former feels intense pressure to provide for his family, the latter languishes as a result of a lifelong lack of love and encouragement.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
But for decades, fine china has been in decline, with fancy sets lining the shelves of thrift shops and languishing at estate sales.
—Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
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 21 Feb. 2025.
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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