[f. LANGUISH v. + -ING2.] That languishes.
1. Declining in health, pining away, drooping. Now rare. † In early use: Suffering from sickness or disease.
c. 1340. Hampole, Prose Tr. (1866), 2. Shewe þe to þis languessande, be þou leche vn-to þis woundyde!
1382. Wyclif, John v. 3. A greet multitude of langwischinge men.
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, vi. (1697), 100. The gasping parched Earth and languishing Nature.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1724), I. 585. He was now in so languishing a state,… that … his death … seemed to be very near.
1719. London & Wise, Compl. Gard., 112. The weaker and more languishing a Tree is, the sooner it ought to be prun’d.
1777. Johnson, Lett. to Mrs. Thrale, 27 Aug. The poor languishing Lady is glad to see me.
1858. Bryant, Rain-dream, ii. A thousand languishing fields, A thousand fainting gardens, are refreshed.
b. Said of a sickness, a death: Lingering. ? Obs.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. v. 9. These most poysonous Compounds, which are the moouers of a languishing death.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1653), 185. A Flux drawing to a languishing dropsie is mortal.
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, xix. (1697), 424. Consumptions, and other languishing Diseases.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 78, ¶ 8. I am just recovered out of a languishing Sickness.
1768. H. Walpole, Hist. Doubts, 129. His wife, who died of a languishing distemper.
c. fig. of immaterial things.
1382. Wyclif, Wisd. xvii. 8. Fro the languysshende soule.
1661. (title) An Humble Representation of the Sad Condition Of many of the Kings Party, Who since His Majesties Happy Restauration have no Relief, and but Languishing Hopes.
1697. Jos. Woodward, Rel. Soc. London, Ded. (1701), 6. Do all that you regularly can, toward … the revival of languishing religion.
a. 1711. Ken, Divine Love, Wks. (1838), 327. My weak and languishing soul.
2. a. Pining with love or grief. b. With reference to looks or behavior: Expressive of sentimental emotion (now used in ridicule).
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 4339. Ladys languessande and lowrande to schewe.
1657. G. Thornley, Daphnis & Chloe, 61. They [lovers] are languishing and carelesse to other things.
1683. D’Urfey, New Collect. Songs, 9. Possess the pleasing toil of languishing Embraces!
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, xix. (1697), 428. Whether they look Soberly, or Merry, Languishing, or with Wide Mouths.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., lxii. (1804), 445. Looking at me with a languishing eye, he said [etc.].
3. Suffering from, or exhibiting, weariness or ennui; acting in a slow or tardy fashion. Of a narrative, etc.: Failing to excite interest.
1655. Earl Orrery, Parthen. (1676), 1. With so languishing and careless a pace.
a. 1693. Dryden, Juvenal, Ded. (1697), 7. Mr. Smith, and Mr. Johnson … were two such languishing Gentlemen in their Conversation.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 255, ¶ 1. The soul … is … slow in its resolves, and languishing in its executions.
1741. trans. D’Argens’ Chinese Lett., xxiii. 162. Our Poets deprive themselves of a great Advantage, by rejecting almost all Narratives as languishing, and putting the most simple and most cruel Things equally into Dialogue and Action.
