languishing

[ lang-gwi-shing ]
See synonyms for languishing on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. becoming languid, in any way.

  2. expressive of languor; indicating tender, sentimental melancholy: a languishing sigh.

  1. lingering: a languishing death.

Origin of languishing

1
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at languish, -ing2

Other words from languishing

  • lan·guish·ing·ly, adverb
  • half-lan·guish·ing, adjective
  • un·lan·guish·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use languishing in a sentence

  • Leander raised his voice to a high squeak and shut his eyes languishingly as he mimicked the singer.

    Friendship and Folly | Maria Louise Pool
  • "Ah, it is thou, Romuald;" she murmured in a voice languishingly sweet as the last vibrations of a harp.

  • Her eyes were darkly blue; not languishingly so, but on the contrary rather lively and intelligent in their accustomed expression.

    Guy Rivers: A Tale of Georgia | William Gilmore Simms
  • The married women whispered languishingly: "You have a marvellous power over women."

  • A thousand times did she kiss this charming animal, who languishingly leaned his head on her snowy bosom.

    Voltaire's Romances | Franois-Marie Arouet