as in listless
lacking bodily energy or motivation
his lingering sickness left him languishing and uninterested in his usual activities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in failing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
older people, especially, were languishing during the prolonged heat wave
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Recent Examples of languishing
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
The family moved to Kyiv before school started in the fall, resettling in a block of apartments that had been hastily reserved for families like theirs, edging out others who had been languishing on the housing list.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Nothing like a little bad blood to breathe a little life into a languishing rivalry.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Our worldview is that rates will come down eventually and unlock the housing market, which should turbocharge this languishing stock.
—Kevin Stankiewicz,alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The timing of Promising Young Woman, premiering to big buzz at Sundance in 2020 and then languishing in pandemic purgatory before ultimately getting dumped onto VOD, was a disappointment.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Means’ languishing nomination after appearing for a confirmation hearing in February reflects the skepticism that lawmakers of both parties have expressed toward the direction Kennedy has taken his department.
—Mike Stobbe, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Thirty percent tips should be reserved for meals where the server is at least grabbing me a drink and clearing a plate, not handing me heat-lamp-languishing food in a 10-second interaction.
—Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Swalwell had held a slim lead in opinion polls over a crowded field of Democrats while Mahan, a darling of Silicon Valley, was languishing in the single digits.
—Eliyahu Kamisher, Bloomberg, 14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The skyway corridors with highest density sit directly atop the most languishing streetscapes, Spencer said, and vice versa.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
By the time Robins left 17 months ago, however, Coventry were languishing in 17th place and needing a spark.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
The family moved to Kyiv before school started in the fall, resettling in a block of apartments that had been hastily reserved for families like theirs, edging out others who had been languishing on the housing list.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Nothing like a little bad blood to breathe a little life into a languishing rivalry.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Our worldview is that rates will come down eventually and unlock the housing market, which should turbocharge this languishing stock.
—Kevin Stankiewicz,alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The timing of Promising Young Woman, premiering to big buzz at Sundance in 2020 and then languishing in pandemic purgatory before ultimately getting dumped onto VOD, was a disappointment.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Means’ languishing nomination after appearing for a confirmation hearing in February reflects the skepticism that lawmakers of both parties have expressed toward the direction Kennedy has taken his department.
—Mike Stobbe, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Thirty percent tips should be reserved for meals where the server is at least grabbing me a drink and clearing a plate, not handing me heat-lamp-languishing food in a 10-second interaction.
—Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Swalwell had held a slim lead in opinion polls over a crowded field of Democrats while Mahan, a darling of Silicon Valley, was languishing in the single digits.
—Eliyahu Kamisher, Bloomberg, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for languishing
Adjective
-
That specificity and boldness don’t appear much on Yo Favorite Trappa Favorite Rappa, a listless album that’s fashioned like a 2000s mixtape.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
21 Apr. 2026
-
On Beef, Woosh (played by K-pop star BM) is a somewhat listless Korean Zoomer who works for chairman Park as a tennis instructor and also sells skincare products to the country club’s members.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dombrowski, like Breslow, is more responsible than his manager for the failings of his club, which ended its 10-game losing streak on Saturday night but still is worse off than the Red Sox at 9-18.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Now it had been relegated again to a leftist cause, a symbol of anti-imperial resistance for some and the face of communism’s failings for others.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, commercial-only business districts are fading.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Dust and pollen are quicker to reveal themselves, and wear becomes apparent faster as dark colors are more prone to fading.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For homeowners tired of robotic mowers that demand nearly as much effort as traditional ones, the K1 is a genuine upgrade.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Susan Collins is an anemic and tired candidate.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Russia still lags well behind the West — and China — in overall ship numbers, and its navy has suffered serious setbacks in the Black Sea at the hands of Ukraine, including the sinking of the fleet’s flagship.—
Alan Crawford,
Bloomberg,
20 Apr. 2026
-
It's believed that Harbeck was hired by the White Star Line, the company operating the Titanic, to document her maiden voyage, but Harbeck was lost during the sinking and never able to corroborate the story.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Onion Grass These invasive weeds are fast-growing and rob your grass of water, nutrients, and sunlight, weakening your garden over time, says Brian Feldman, senior director of technical operations at TruGreen.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Muscle loss and bone weakening Numerous studies have documented that rapid weight loss from Ozempic and other medications can cause significant muscle loss, especially in people who don’t increase their protein intake.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Feeling a little funky, exhausted or sore can happen for a number of reasons, including perimenopause and menopause.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Tranquility notwithstanding, Suriel was exhausted.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The South Bay has been able to absorb thousands of layoffs yet still avoid a worsening of the jobless rate in the region, Hancock noted.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Two of the people with MS, including Miller, have progressive MS, a form of the disease marked by gradual worsening of neurological function and disabilities over time.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Languishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/languishing. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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