languish

/ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/

//ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"languish" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“languish” is uncommon English (frequency #50,034 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,034
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To lose strength and become weak; to be in a state of weakness or sickness.

Key facts for languish
PropertyValue
Headwordlanguish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#50,034
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “languish” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). languish lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

languish is uncommon English at frequency #50,034 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for languish, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English languysshen, from the present participle stem of Anglo-Norman and Middle French languir, from Late Latin languīre, alteration of Latin languēre (“to be faint, unwell”). : Compare languor and lax. : Cognate with slack. The correct English form is languish, spelled L-A-N-G-U-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To lose strength and become weak; to be in a state of weakness or sickness.
  2. 2
    To pine away in longing for something; to have low spirits, especially from lovesickness.
  3. 3
    To live in miserable or disheartening conditions.
  4. 4
    To be neglected; to make little progress, be unsuccessful.
  5. 5
    To make weak; to weaken, devastate.
  6. 6
    To affect a languid air, especially disingenuously.

Etymology

From Middle English languysshen, from the present participle stem of Anglo-Norman and Middle French languir, from Late Latin languīre, alteration of Latin languēre (“to be faint, unwell”). : Compare languor and lax. : Cognate with slack.

This word in other languages

atrofiar(Español)dépérir(Français)ermatten(Deutsch)definhar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "languish"?
"languish" is spelled L-A-N-G-U-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/.
What does "languish" mean?
As a verb, "languish" means: To lose strength and become weak; to be in a state of weakness or sickness.
How do you pronounce "languish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "languish" is /ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "languish"?
From Middle English languysshen, from the present participle stem of Anglo-Norman and Middle French languir, from Late Latin languīre, alteration of Latin languēre (“to be faint, unwell”). : Compare languor and lax. : Cognate with slack. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “languish”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is L-A-N-G-U-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list