languishing
Americanadjective
-
becoming languid, in any way.
-
expressive of languor; indicating tender, sentimental melancholy.
a languishing sigh.
-
lingering.
a languishing death.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of languishing
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at languish, -ing 2
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.
United are currently languishing in 16th place, with their only league win against Ipswich on 30 August, and are without a win in all competitions since 10 September.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Meager revenues and languishing interest so many years after the league’s 1997 launch meant that some investors wanted out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
Recent data showed students were languishing in the system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
A “negative output gap, a languishing labor market, soft real income growth and unambiguously restrictive monetary policy should alleviate concerns around sticky underlying inflation in the U.K.,” von Ahlen argues.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
One afternoon, evidently, this butler had entered the dining room to make sure all was well for dinner, when he noticed a tiger languishing beneath the dining table.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
