languish
(redirected from languishment)Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus.
languish in
1. To spend time in some place weakening in spirit or in health. I've been languishing in this hospital bed for so long, I've forgotten what it feels like to be healthy. I say let the criminal languish in prison for the rest of his days.
2. To be forgotten, ignored, or neglected in some place. With the United Nations withdrawing troops from the region, thousands of refugees will be left to languish in their makeshift communities of tents. It is yet another piece of legislation destined to languish in parliament, thanks to this government's stubborn refusal to work together toward any productive actions.
3. To be overcome by some debilitating emotional, physical, or psychological state. I spent about two years languishing in sorrow after my wife passed away. Without proper medical treatment, the poor man was left to languish in psychosis. I can't understand why they want to spend so much money building a new sport arena, when so many important landmarks around the city are languishing in disrepair.
See also: languish
languish over (someone or something)
To desire or grieve over someone or something so intensely that one becomes depressed or melancholy. You can't just sitting here languishing over your ex-boyfriend. It's over—you need to get out there and live your life! I find it disgusting the way people languish over the latest, most expensive tech gadgets, even though they literally have no need for them!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
languish in
some place1. to become dispirited in some place; to weaken and fade away in some place. Claire languished in prison for her crime. I spent over three days languishing in a stuffy hotel room. We languished in the airport waiting room while they refueled the plane.
2. to suffer neglect in a place. The bill languished in the Senate for months on end. The children languished in the squalid conditions until the court intervened.
See also: languish
languish over someone or something
to pine over someone or something. There is no point in languishing over Tim. He'll never come back. She wasted half her life languishing over her lost opportunities.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.