- 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.
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
Yoon's wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee, is also languishing in prison for unrelated corruption crimes.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
The American historian then announces that she has found the prized volume languishing in a monastery archive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Swalwell’s exit from the race also may revive candidates who have been languishing in the midsection of recent opinion polls — former U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
At present, Mulch was languishing in a stone-walled cell in LEP Central.
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.
