See Also: languish(medicine)
languish(dictionary)
languish(dictionary)

languish (iou)



languish verb & noun. ME.
[Old & mod. French languiss- lengthened stem of languir from Proto-Romance var. of Latin languere languish, rel. to laxus LAX adjective: see -ISH2.]
A. verb.
verb intrans. Of a living thing: weaken; be or become faint, feeble, or ill; suffer. ME.
E. Jones The patient..is languishing in a semi-conscious state.
b. Exist under conditions which debilitate or depress. Usu. foll. by in, under. L15.
Independent The grandmother languishes in an old people's home.
verb intrans. Droop in spirits; pine with love, grief, etc. Also foll. by for, to do. ME.
De Quincey The poor nuns..were languishing for some amusement. V. Sackville-West She trembled for joy in his presence, languished in his absence.
b. Assume a sentimentally tender or languid look or expression. E18.
verb intrans. Of an appetite, activity, interest, etc.: slacken, lose vigour or intensity. Formerly also, (of light, colour, sound, etc.) become dim or indistinct. LME.
P. L. Fermor Talk would languish and a pensive gloom descend.
verb trans. Pass (a period of time) in languishing. Usu. foll. by out. Now rare. E17.
b. noun.
The action or state of languishing. LME.
A tender look or gesture. rare. E18.
languisher noun L16.