Which word means to become weak, listless, or depressed?

• A. Languish
• B. Censure
• C. Anomaly
• D. Bilk

Answer: (A)

This word describes becoming weak, listless, or depressed—a gradual loss of energy or vitality that can apply to a person, a situation, or even a thing that fades or loses momentum. It captures not just physical decline but also a sense of stagnation or diminished spirit, like a period where progress stops and energy drains away. In everyday use, you might say a plant languishes without water, a person languishes in a dull routine, or a project languishes for lack of direction. The other options don’t fit: to censure is to condemn or criticize strongly; an anomaly is something that deviates from the norm; and to bilk is to cheat or swindle. So the best fit for “to become weak, listless, or depressed” is languish.