- present participle of languish.
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.
After languishing in development hell under Stanley Kubrick for two decades, the notoriously intense auteur deferred the project to Spielberg, believing he would be the right fit to tell such a complex yet tender story.
From Salon • Jun. 28, 2026
Meanwhile, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin’s Amagansett compound has been languishing on the market since 2022, when they listed it for $29 million.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
Bitcoin has been in the doldrums for months, with its fall back from highs above $100,000 in late 2025 accelerating since January and prices languishing around $60,000 until a slow march higher through April.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
With Newcastle languishing in 14th, and his future coming under increased scrutiny, Howe accepts they have become too easy to beat.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
At least, he was trying to project an image of a languishing, unperturbed kind of dwarf.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
