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Definitions

languish

[lang-gwish] / ˈlæŋ gwɪʃ /
VERB
droop; become dull, listless
Synonyms
STRONGEST
deteriorate dwindle fail faint rot suffer weaken wither
STRONG
brood decline desire despond ebb fade fag flag grieve hanker hunger long pine repine sicken sigh snivel sorrow tucker waste wilt yearn
WEAK
be disregarded be neglected conk out die on vine fag out fizzle out go soft go to pieces knock out waste away
Antonyms
STRONGEST
build develop grow
STRONG
be happy delight despise dislike hate improve increase rise strengthen
WEAK
flourish

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Many Korean chaebol still languish as low as 0.3 times book, Lim says.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

He and FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday accused former FBI officials of letting the investigation languish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Prior to the earnings report, Jefferies analyst Brent Thill warned that Salesforce’s stock could continue to languish in the near term over AI concerns.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 3, 2025

Fans have been seen accosting board members in hotel lobbies and airports, while on the pitch the team languish 14 points off the Premiership summit as Europe continues to to be a traumatic experience.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

Desperate as she’d been to return to her country, she’d known she couldn’t leave Matthias to languish in Hellgate.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.