languish

intransitive-verb
UK: /ˈlæŋɡwɪʃ/
US: /ˈlæŋɡwɪʃ/

  1. To become weak or feeble; to lose health and vigor.

    1. Plants languish without enough water and sunlight.
    2. After months in the hospital, he began to languish, losing his usual spark.

  2. To suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant place or situation.

    1. She'll languish in jail if convicted of that crime.
    2. The project continued to languish due to lack of funding and support.

  3. To live in a state of depression or hopelessness.

    1. He languished after his partner left him.
    2. Many artists languish in obscurity before achieving recognition.

Synonyms

weaken deteriorate suffer decline wither pine fade rot
languish transitive-verb

  1. To cause to suffer or weaken.

    1. The hot sun languished the flowers in the garden.
    2. His harsh words languished her confidence, making her hesitant.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "languish" in English means: To become weak or feeble; to lose health and vigor., To suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant place or situation., To live in a state of depression or hopelessness..

The phonetic transcription of "languish" is /ˈlæŋɡwɪʃ/ in British English and /ˈlæŋɡwɪʃ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "languish": weaken, deteriorate, suffer, decline, wither, pine, fade, rot.

Example usage of "languish": "Plants languish without enough water and sunlight.". More examples on the page.