languish

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   become feeble

   The prisoner has be languishing for years in the dungeon.

2. 2
   verb

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

   He languished without his girlfriend.

3. 3
   verb

   To live in miserable or disheartening conditions.

   He languished in prison for years.

4. 4
   verb

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

   The case languished for years before coming to trial.

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.

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