Languish
/ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/noun
To suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant place or situation.
Did you know?In medieval times, to languish was associated with unrequited love, where longing could lead to literal physical decline.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lengʲʰ-
“to be weak, to be languid”
Latin
Latin
languere
“to be faint, to grow weak”
Old French
Old French
languir
“to languish, to be faint or weak”
Middle English
Middle English
languishen
“to suffer from weakness or decline”
Modern English
English
languish
“to lose strength or vitality, often from sorrow or longing”
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