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languish

verb
/ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/

Etymology

From Middle English languysshen, from the present participle stem of Anglo-Norman and Middle French languir, from Late Latin languīre, alteration of Latin languēre (“to be faint, unwell”). : Compare languor and lax. : Cognate with slack.

  1. derived from langueo
  2. derived from languio
  3. derived from languir
  4. inherited from languysshen

Definitions

  1. To lose strength and become weak

    To lose strength and become weak; to be in a state of weakness or sickness.

    • We […] do languish of such diseases.

  2. To pine away in longing for something

    To pine away in longing for something; to have low spirits, especially from lovesickness.

    • He languished without his girlfriend.

  3. To live in miserable or disheartening conditions.

    • He languished in prison for years.
    • An elderly Hungarian found languishing in a Russian mental hospital could finally be allowed to return home - 55 years after being taken prisoner by the Russian Army.
  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. To be neglected

      To be neglected; to make little progress, be unsuccessful.

      • The case languished for years before coming to trial.

    2. To make weak

      To make weak; to weaken, devastate.

    3. To affect a languid air, especially disingenuously.

      • He is an excellent young man, and will suit Harriet exactly: it will be an "exactly so," as he says himself; but he does sigh and languish, and study for compliments rather more than I could endure as a principal.
      • His bowstring slackened, languid Love, / Leaning his cheek upon his hand, / Droops both his wings, regarding thee, / And so would languish evermore, / Serene, imperial Eleänore.

The neighborhood

Derived

languisher, languishment, languishness

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for languish. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA