Antonyms for languish


Grammar : Verb
Spell : lang-gwish
Phonetic Transcription : ˈlæŋ gwɪʃ


Definition of languish

Origin :
  • early 14c., "fail in strength, exhibit signs of approaching death," from languiss-, present participle stem of Old French languir "be listless, pine, grieve, fall ill," from Vulgar Latin *languire, from Latin languere "be weak or faint" (see lax). Weaker sense "be lovesick, grieve, lament, grow faint," is from mid-14c. Related: Languished; languishing.
  • verb droop; become dull, listless
Example sentences :
  • No, Plautus did not allow his public to languish for want of noise.
  • Extract from : « The Dramatic Values in Plautus » by Wilton Wallace Blancke
  • He regards them as vermin to be left to languish and die of their festering wounds.
  • Extract from : « Captain Blood » by Rafael Sabatini
  • Supposing a frog were to come along and languish for my kind of legs.
  • Extract from : « The Adventures of Maya the Bee » by Waldemar Bonsels
  • They are brought from Shanghai, and, as a rule, they languish and die in a few months.
  • Extract from : « The Philippine Islands » by John Foreman
  • It will languish and perish in the dry sunlight of open discussion.
  • Extract from : « The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice » by Stephen Leacock
  • I languish for the reply which is to make or mar me for ever.
  • Extract from : « Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush » by William Makepeace Thackeray
  • When taken to warm climates, they languish, and soon die of disease of the liver.
  • Extract from : « The Plant Hunters » by Mayne Reid
  • But we cannot allow beauty to languish for need of mountain air.
  • Extract from : « Long Live the King » by Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • No, no; I will never allow you to languish in prison in such a way.
  • Extract from : « Louise de la Valliere » by Alexandre Dumas, Pere
  • Forrest might love and languish all he liked, if it was fun for Flo.
  • Extract from : « A Tame Surrender, A Story of The Chicago Strike » by Charles King

Synonyms for languish

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019