languish
to be or become weak or feeble; droop; fade: Whether the plant thrives or languishes and dies is heavily dependent on the climate.
to lose vigor and vitality: Though she was once full of energy, her illness had caused her to languish.
to undergo neglect or experience prolonged inactivity; suffer hardship and distress: to languish in prison for ten years.
to be subjected to delay or disregard; be ignored: a petition that languished on the warden's desk for a year.
to pine with desire or longing.
to assume an expression of tender, sentimental melancholy.
Archaic. the act or state of being neglected, losing vigor, or becoming weak.
Archaic. a tender, melancholy look or expression.
Origin of languish
1Other words from languish
- lan·guish·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use languish in a sentence
Born in Kuwait, Jason languished in college in the States (“It was a cultural thing”) and says he became clinically depressed.
The Secret World of Pickup Artist Julien Blanc | Brandy Zadrozny | December 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe languished in a “home” recuperating from a severe depression.
The Neglected Penelope Mortimer Was a Novelist Ahead of Her Time | Jessica Ferri | March 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFor decades, these fascinating recordings languished in the Cash Family vault, unheard and unremembered.
The Inside Story of Johnny Cash’s Legendary Lost LP, ‘Out Among the Stars’ | Andrew Romano | March 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTInstead, it languished with the rest of their backlog for years.
And so Morgan has languished behind its peers and the market at large.
Morgan Stanley Retreats From Investment Banking and Trading | Daniel Gross | January 11, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The vintage hath mourned, the vine hath languished away, all the merry have sighed.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousHe was arrested, taken back to Paris, and cast into prison, where he languished for some time.
Madame Roland, Makers of History | John S. C. AbbottThe country is destroyed, the ground hath mourned: for the corn is wasted, the wine is confounded, the oil hath languished.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousNor did he support exile with dignity; he languished like Cicero when doomed to a similar fate, and died of a broken heart.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I | John LordIndeed, the greater part of the talk had been between Miss Angela and myself, and even that had languished.
In Accordance with the Evidence | Oliver Onions
British Dictionary definitions for languish
/ (ˈlæŋɡwɪʃ) /
to lose or diminish in strength or energy
(often foll by for) to be listless with desire; pine
to suffer deprivation, hardship, or neglect: to languish in prison
to put on a tender, nostalgic, or melancholic expression
Origin of languish
1Derived forms of languish
- languishing, adjective
- languishingly, adverb
- languishment, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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