1
languish in something
常表示在困境或停滞状态中受苦。
The proposal languished in committee for months.
该提案在委员会中搁置了数月。
受煎熬；被冷落；停滞不前
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
受煎熬；被冷落；停滞不前
to live in miserable or discouraging conditions; to be neglected and fail to make progress
The proposal languished in committee for months.
该提案在委员会中搁置了数月。
失去力量变得虚弱；处于虚弱或疾病状态。
To lose strength and become weak; to be in a state of weakness or sickness.
因渴望而憔悴；情绪低落,尤指因相思。
To pine away in longing for something; to have low spirits, especially from lovesickness.
生活在悲惨或沮丧的境况中。
To live in miserable or disheartening conditions.
被忽视；进展甚微,不成功。
To be neglected; to make little progress, be unsuccessful.
languish
Base
原形
languishes
3rd person
第三人称单数
languishing
-ing
现在分词
languished
Past
过去式
languished
Past participle
过去分词
He languishes in prison.
他在监狱中憔悴。
She languished after the breakup.
分手后她憔悴了。
The plants are languishing in the heat.
植物在炎热中凋萎。
languish 作为规则动词，过去式和过去分词均为 languished，现在分词为 languishing。
After weeks without rain, the plants in the garden began to languish.
几周无雨之后，花园里的植物开始枯萎。
He languished in prison for years before finally being released.
他在监狱里受苦多年，终于被释放。
The economy is languishing due to the lack of investment.
由于缺乏投资，经济陷入低迷。
常表示在困境或停滞状态中受苦。
The proposal languished in committee for months.
该提案在委员会中搁置了数月。
表示强烈渴望或苦苦思念。
He languished for his homeland while abroad.
他在国外苦思故乡。
表示因缺乏必需品而衰弱。
The garden languished without rain.
花园因无雨而凋萎。
Not this
The patient languished a slow recovery.
Use this
The patient languished during a slow recovery.
languish 是不及物动词，不能直接接宾语，应通过介词短语（如 during）来表达语境。
Not this
She languished at the small town.
Use this
She languished in the small town.
languish 常与介词 in 搭配表示‘在…中受苦/凋零’，而非 at。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
在监狱中长期受煎熬
He languished in prison for ten years before being released.
他在监狱里受折磨十年后才被释放。
默默无闻；湮没无闻
The talented painter languished in obscurity for decades.
这位才华横溢的画家默默无闻了几十年。
在贫困中煎熬
Many families languished in poverty after the war.
战后许多家庭在贫困中煎熬。
长期昏迷；一直处于昏迷状态
She has languished in a coma for three months.
她已经昏迷三个月了。
因相思而憔悴
The young man languished for love of the princess.
那个年轻人因思念公主而日渐憔悴。
默默无闻，被忽视
Despite her talent, she languished in obscurity for years.
尽管她很有才华，多年来却默默无闻。
在监狱中备受煎熬，长期被关押
He languished in prison for a decade before being released.
他在监狱里备受煎熬十年后才获释。
（计划等）被搁置，逐渐失败
The project languished on the vine after funding was cut.
资金被削减后，这个项目就被搁置，逐渐不了了之。
萎靡是2021年的主导情绪。
Adam Grant's article about languishing resonated with millions of pandemic-weary readers.
亚当·格兰特关于“萎靡”状态的文章引起数百万受疫情困扰读者的共鸣。
Use languish naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
记法：与 flourish（繁荣）对比，花缺水就 languish——枯萎、衰弱、受冷落。
语域：formal 常见场景：formal writing、literary works languish 属于较正式、偏文学性的动词，口语中较少使用。多用于书面语，表示‘衰弱、受煎熬、被冷落或停滞不前’等含义。
不及物动词，后不直接跟宾语。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.