languish

English

WOTD – 29 November 2009

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.

Pronunciation

(UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/
Audio (UK) (file)
Rhymes: -æŋɡwɪʃ

Verb

languish (third-person singular simple present languishes, present participle languishing, simple past and past participle languished)

(intransitive) To lose strength and become weak; to be in a state of weakness or sickness. [from 14th c.]
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, 2 Esdras 8:31:
  We […] do languish of such diseases.
(intransitive) To pine away in longing for something; to have low spirits, especially from lovesickness. [from 14th c.]
He languished without his girlfriend
(intransitive) To live in miserable or disheartening conditions. [from 15th c.]
He languished in prison for years
(intransitive) To be neglected; to make little progress, be unsuccessful. [from 17th c.]
The case languished for years before coming to trial.
(transitive, obsolete) To make weak; to weaken, devastate. [15th–17th c.]
(intransitive, now rare) To affect a languid air, especially disingenuously. [from 18th c.]
- 1815, Jane Austen, Emma:
  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.
- a. 1833, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “Eleänore”, in Poems, page 31:
  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.

Related terms

languid
languor
languorous

Translations

to lose strength and become weak

Albanian: lëngoj (sq)
Armenian: թառամել (hy) (tʿaṙamel), թուլանալ (hy) (tʿulanal), տկարանալ (hy) (tkaranal), հյուծվել (hy) (hyucvel)
Bulgarian: отслабвам (bg) (otslabvam), отмалявам (bg) (otmaljavam)
Catalan: decaure (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 憔悴 (zh) (qiáocuì)
Czech: zeslábnout
Danish: trættes
Dutch: verzwakken (nl), verslappen (nl)
Finnish: riutua (fi), nääntyä (fi)
French: dépérir (fr), se cachectiser, se rabougrir, devenir étique
German: ermatten (de), erschlaffen (de), siechen (de)
Ido: langorar (io)
Italian: intristire, languire (it)
Japanese: 元気がなくなる (げんきがなくなる, genki ga nakunaru)
Latin: marcesco
Macedonian: о́слаби (óslabi)
Maori: tārure
Old English: dwīnan
Persian: رنجور شدن‎ (ranjur šodan)
Polish: marnieć (pl) impf
Portuguese: definhar (pt)
Russian: ча́хнуть (ru) impf (čáxnutʹ), увяда́ть (ru) impf (uvjadátʹ), слабе́ть (ru) impf (slabétʹ)
Spanish: atrofiar (es), marchitar (es), decaer (es)
Swedish: försmäkta (sv), tyna bort (sv)
Turkish: gevşemek (tr)

to pine away with longing

Armenian: տանջվել (hy) (tanǰvel), թախծել (hy) (tʿaxcel), ուժից ընկնել (hy) (užicʿ ənknel), ուժասպառ լինել (užaspaṙ linel)
Bulgarian: чезна (bg) (čezna)
Catalan: llanguir (ca)
Dutch: smachten (nl), verlangen (nl)
Esperanto: velki
Finnish: riutua (fi), räytyä (fi)
French: languir (fr), se mourir (fr)
German: schmachten (de), sehnen (de), sich verzehren
Greek: μαραζώνω (el) (marazóno)
Macedonian: ве́нее (vénee), и́збледи (ízbledi)
Maori: hiangongo
Persian: بی‌حال شدن‎ (bi-hâl šodan), در حسرت سوختن‎ (dar hasrat suxtan)
Polish: tęsknić (pl) impf
Russian: тоскова́ть (ru) impf (toskovátʹ), изныва́ть (ru) impf (iznyvátʹ)
Spanish: languidecer (es)
Turkish: durgunlaşmak (tr)

to live in miserable conditions

Czech: živořit (cs)
Dutch: kwijnen (nl), wegkwijnen (nl)
Finnish: kitua (fi), riutua (fi), virua
French: traîner une misérable éxistence, vivoter (fr)
German: dahinsiechen (de), schmachten (de)
Italian: vivachiare
Japanese: 惨めに暮らす (みじめにくらす, mijime ni kurasu)
Persian: ذله شدن‎ (zelle šodan)
Polish: dogorywać (pl) impf, pokutować (pl) impf
Russian: томи́ться (ru) impf (tomítʹsja), прозяба́ть (ru) impf (prozjabátʹ), влачи́ть жа́лкое существова́ние impf (vlačítʹ žálkoje suščestvovánije)
Spanish: sufrir (es), desperecer (es), ir tirando, malvivir (es)
Turkish: sürünmek (tr)

to be neglected, to make little progress

Dutch: stagneren (nl)
Finnish: roikkua (fi)
French: péricliter (fr), décliner (fr), stagner (fr), piétiner (fr), marquer le pas (fr), patauger (fr)
Italian: stagnare (it), segnare il passo
Persian: سرد شدن‎ (fa) (sard šodan), مغفول ماندن‎ (mağful mândan)
Polish: wlec się (pl) impf
Russian: тяну́ться (ru) impf (tjanútʹsja)
Spanish: periclitar (es), debilitarse (es), estancarse (es), atascarse (es), enredarse (es)

Anagrams

haulings, haulsing, nilghaus