Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: French
Origin: languir, from Latin languere

languish

 verb
     
lan‧guish [intransitive]
1 if someone languishes somewhere, they are forced to remain in a place where they are unhappy
languish in
Shaw languished in jail for fifteen years.
2 if something languishes, it fails to improve and develop or become successful [↪ founder; ≠ flourish]:
The housing market continues to languish.
The shares are languishing at just 46p after yesterday's fall.
West Ham United are currently languishing at the bottom of the league.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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