1(of a person, animal, or plant) lose or lack vitality; grow weak:plants may appear to be languishing simply because they are dormant
fail to make progress or be successful:Kelso languish near the bottom of the Scottish First Division (as adjective languishing)the country’s languishing stock market
archaic pine with love or grief:she still languished after Richard
archaic assume a sentimentally tender or melancholy expression or tone:when a visitor comes in, she smiles and languishes
2be forced to remain in an unpleasant place or situation:he has been languishing in jail since 1974
