Dictionary

languish en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈlɛ̃ŋ.ɡwɪʃ/ æ-raising
• /ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/ without æ-raising
• /ˈleɪ̯ŋ.ɡwɪʃ/ æ-raising
• (Southern-England) audio

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, languid and lax. : Cognate with slack.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To lose strength and become weak; to be in a state of weakness or sickness.
   • We […] do languish of such diseases. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Esdras 8:31:
2. (intransitive) To pine away in longing for something; to have low spirits, especially from lovesickness.
   • He languished without his girlfriend.
3. (intransitive) 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. 2000 August 2, “Hungarian POW to go home after 55 years”, in BBC News:
4. (intransitive) To be neglected; to make little progress, be unsuccessful.
   • The case languished for years before coming to trial.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To make weak; to weaken, devastate.
6. (archaic, intransitive) 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. 1815, Jane Austen, Emma:
   • 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. a. 1833, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “Eleänore”, in Poems, page 31:

Forms

Deriveds

languishness · languisher · languishment

Relateds

languorous · languid · languor

Synonyms

rot

Translations (135)

kmr binisîn (to lose strength and become weak) · hu lankad (to lose strength and become weak) · fr se cachectiser (to lose strength and become weak) · nl verslappen (to lose strength and become weak) · nl stagneren (to be neglected, to make little progress) · fa در حسرت سوختن (to pine away with longing) · es debilitarse (to be neglected, to make little progress) · ja 惨めに暮らす (to live in miserable conditions) · hy հյուծվել (to lose strength and become weak) · de siechen (to lose strength and become weak) · hy թառամել (to lose strength and become weak) · pl dogorywać (to live in miserable conditions) · pt definhar (to lose strength and become weak) · es atascarse (to be neglected, to make little progress) · it languire (to lose strength and become weak) · fa بیحال شدن (to pine away with longing) · de schmachten (to live in miserable conditions) · de sich verzehren (to pine away with longing) · hu senyved (to live in miserable conditions) · sv försmäkta (to lose strength and become weak) · fi virua (to live in miserable conditions) · mk ве́нее (to pine away with longing) · hu hervadozik (to be neglected, to make little progress) · fr stagner (to be neglected, to make little progress) · nl verzwakken (to lose strength and become weak) · es languidecer (to pine away with longing) · it vivachiare (to live in miserable conditions) · fa رنجور شدن (to lose strength and become weak) · hu sínylődik (to live in miserable conditions) · pl wlec się (to be neglected, to make little progress) · hu sorvadozik (to be neglected, to make little progress) · fi riutua (to pine away with longing) · es estancarse (to be neglected, to make little progress) · fi kitua (to live in miserable conditions) · mk и́збледи (to pine away with longing) · fa مغفول ماندن (to be neglected, to make little progress) · hy թախծել (to pine away with longing) · it stagnare (to be neglected, to make little progress) · el μαραζώνω (to pine away with longing) · tr gevşemek (to lose strength and become weak) · hy թուլանալ (to lose strength and become weak) · de dahinsiechen (to live in miserable conditions) · es enredarse (to be neglected, to make little progress) · io langorar (to lose strength and become weak) · ang dwīnan (to lose strength and become weak) · fr se rabougrir (to lose strength and become weak) · fi riutua (to live in miserable conditions) · hu bágyad (to lose strength and become weak) · ru ча́хнуть (to lose strength and become weak) · bg отмалявам (to lose strength and become weak) · sv tyna bort (to lose strength and become weak) · sq lëngoj (to lose strength and become weak) · es desperecer (to live in miserable conditions) · nl smachten (to pine away with longing) · fr péricliter (to be neglected, to make little progress) · es atrofiar (to lose strength and become weak) · hu darvadozik (to be neglected, to make little progress) · fr dépérir (to lose strength and become weak) · uk скні́ти (to be neglected, to make little progress) · fr patauger (to be neglected, to make little progress) · de schmachten (to pine away with longing) · ru прозяба́ть (to live in miserable conditions) · mi hiangongo (to pine away with longing) · es marchitar (to lose strength and become weak) · fi nääntyä (to lose strength and become weak) · es periclitar (to be neglected, to make little progress) · bg чезна (to pine away with longing) · fi roikkua (to be neglected, to make little progress) · fi riutua (to lose strength and become weak) · ru влачи́ть жа́лкое существова́ние (to live in miserable conditions) · hy ուժասպառ լինել (to pine away with longing) · ar ضَعُفَ (to lose strength and become weak) · pl marnieć (to lose strength and become weak) · uk скні́ти (to lose strength and become weak) · fr devenir étique (to lose strength and become weak) · tr durgunlaşmak (to pine away with longing) · hu kókadozik (to be neglected, to make little progress) · mk о́слаби (to lose strength and become weak) · pl tęsknić (to pine away with longing) · fr se mourir (to pine away with longing) · ru слабе́ть (to lose strength and become weak) · cs živořit (to live in miserable conditions) · ar فَتَرَ (to lose strength and become weak) · la marcesco (to lose strength and become weak) · de erschlaffen (to lose strength and become weak) · bg отслабвам (to lose strength and become weak) · nl wegkwijnen (to live in miserable conditions) · ru увяда́ть (to lose strength and become weak) · hu ernyed (to lose strength and become weak) · fi räytyä (to pine away with longing) · ru томи́ться (to live in miserable conditions) · it intristire (to lose strength and become weak) · fa سرد شدن (to be neglected, to make little progress) · ca decaure (to lose strength and become weak) · nl verlangen (to pine away with longing) · hy տկարանալ (to lose strength and become weak) · hu tesped (to be neglected, to make little progress) · es sufrir (to live in miserable conditions) · de sehnen (to pine away with longing) · hu pilled (to lose strength and become weak) · ja 元気がなくなる (to lose strength and become weak) · ru тяну́ться (to be neglected, to make little progress) · hu gyengül (to lose strength and become weak) · ru изныва́ть (to pine away with longing) · da trættes (to lose strength and become weak) · ca llanguir (to pine away with longing) · ru тоскова́ть (to pine away with longing) · fa ذله شدن (to live in miserable conditions) · fr languir (to pine away with longing) · cs zeslábnout (to lose strength and become weak) · es decaer (to lose strength and become weak) · fr vivoter (to live in miserable conditions) · uk скні́ти (to live in miserable conditions) · hu eped (to pine away with longing) · it segnare il passo (to be neglected, to make little progress) · ar أُهْمِلَ (to be neglected, to make little progress) · hu epekedik (to pine away with longing) · fr décliner (to be neglected, to make little progress) · hu sóvárog (to pine away with longing) · pl pokutować (to live in miserable conditions) · ar قَبَعَ (to live in miserable conditions) · es malvivir (to live in miserable conditions) · mi tārure (to lose strength and become weak) · eo velki (to pine away with longing) · hu erőtlenedik (to lose strength and become weak) · es ir tirando (to live in miserable conditions) · fr traîner une misérable éxistence (to live in miserable conditions) · fr marquer le pas (to be neglected, to make little progress) · cmn 憔悴 (to lose strength and become weak) · hy ուժից ընկնել (to pine away with longing) · de ermatten (to lose strength and become weak) · tr sürünmek (to live in miserable conditions) · hy տանջվել (to pine away with longing) · fr piétiner (to be neglected, to make little progress) · nl kwijnen (to live in miserable conditions)