INDEX:
long in length
1. long object/line/road etc
2. long book/name/list etc
3. to make something longer
4. to become longer
5. ways of saying how long something is
long time
6. a long time
7. continuing for a long time
8. continuing for too long
9. to continue for longer than was planned or expected
10. when you need a lot of time in order to do something
11. art, writing, ideas etc that last for a long time
12. to make something last longer
13. when someone lives for a very long time
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ SHORT
◆◆◆
1. long object/line/road etc
▷ long /lɒŋǁlɔːŋ/ [adjective]
something that is long has a great length or distance between its two ends :
▪ Her hair was long, honey-blonde, and tied back in a ponytail.
▪ She led them down a long corridor, through countless swinging doors.
▪ a woman in a long black gown
▪ Rome has the longest shopping street in Europe.
▷ elongated /ˈiːlɒŋgeɪtɪd, ˈiːlɒŋgeɪtədǁɪˈlɔːŋ-/ [adjective]
much longer and narrower than usual :
▪ Eucalyptus trees grow very tall and have elongated leaves.
▪ The lizard’s body is thin and elongated, enabling it to squeeze into cracks and crevices.
▪ The candle cast its elongated shadow across the wall.
2. long book/name/list etc
▷ long /lɒŋǁlɔːŋ/ [adjective]
a long book, name etc has a lot of pages, words, letters, details etc in it :
▪ The place has a long Welsh name that I can’t pronounce.
▪ I like the book, but the chapters are really long.
▪ Oh dear, this is going to be a long list of things I was supposed to do but didn’t.
▪ I don’t want to make a long speech, but I hope you’ll bear with me while I mention a few people who have helped.
▷ lengthy /ˈleŋθi/ [adjective] formal
a lengthy book, document, or explanation has a lot of words and details in it, and is often quite boring :
▪ a lengthy, two-volume book on conditions in modern China
▪ The President gave a lengthy address to the nation on CBS last night.
▪ a lengthy financial report
▪ He later completed a lengthy study of Figurative Art.
3. to make something longer
▷ make something longer /ˌmeɪk something ˈlɒŋgəʳǁ-ˈlɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase]
▪ The sleeves on this jacket are too short; do you think you could make them just a little longer?
▪ Mr Watson said my essay was OK, but maybe I should have made it longer.
▪ If you want to make the story longer, embellish it and ask your child questions about the characters.
▷ lengthen /ˈleŋθ ə n/ [transitive verb]
to make something longer especially in order to make it more suitable or useful :
▪ He wore blue jeans, which had been lengthened with strips of denim.
▪ This particular operation involves lengthening the Achilles tendon.
▷ extend /ɪkˈstend/ [transitive verb]
to make something such as a line, road, or passage longer so that it reaches further :
▪ Miners have extended the tunnel in order to get a new supply of coal.
extend something to something
▪ They will extend the subway from central Buffalo to the smaller towns around the city.
▷ stretch /stretʃ/ [transitive verb]
to make a piece of string, elastic, cloth etc longer by pulling it :
▪ Norma picked up a stocking, stretched it and then pulled it onto her foot.
▪ Careful, don’t stretch it, it’ll snap!
4. to become longer
▷ get longer /ˌget ˈlɒŋgəʳǁ-ˈlɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase]
▪ You’ve lost weight, and your hair’s got longer.
▪ The traffic tailback seems to be getting longer, not shorter!
get longer and longer
become continuously longer
▪ The Internet may be booming, but the list of failed dotcom companies is getting longer and longer.
▪ These forms seem to get longer and longer.
▷ lengthen /ˈleŋθ ə n/ [intransitive verb]
to gradually become longer :
▪ As afternoon drew on and the shadows lengthened, her fears increased.
▪ The crack seemed to open wider and lengthen before her eyes.
▪ He smiled and the creases at the corners of his eyes lengthened.
▷ stretch /stretʃ/ [intransitive verb]
if a piece of string, elastic, cloth etc stretches, it gets longer, especially because it is being pulled :
▪ Uncle John pulled hard on the bell-rope, which stretched and then broke.
▪ elasticated straps designed to stretch easily
5. ways of saying how long something is
▷ long /lɒŋǁlɔːŋ/ [adjective]
six feet/two metres etc long
▪ The room is about 10 metres long and 5 metres wide.
▪ Some snakes can grow up to 30 feet long.
▪ To read a report that’s over 40 pages long? It would take me most of the day.
how long
▪ How long is the trailer? I don’t think it will fit in the garage.
▪ Look how long Ayesha’s hair is getting.
▪ Get me a measuring tape - I’ll show you how long I want the skirt.
▷ length /leŋθ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
how long something is :
▪ Do you want your hair at the back to be the same length as the sides?
▪ Try these trousers, they look about the right length.
length of
▪ Measure the length of all three sides of the triangle.
▪ The windows stretch across the whole length of the wall.
a length of 4 feet/three inches etc
▪ These fish can grow to a length of four feet.
5 miles/12 inches etc in length
▪ The leaves reach 20-25 cm in length.
in length
▪ The two pieces of rope were unequal in length.
of equal length
when two things are of the same length
▪ Actually, no-one has legs of exactly equal length.
full-length /ˌfʊl ˈleŋθ◂/ [adjective]
as long as it is possible for something to be :
▪ There were even full-length mirrors in all the lifts.
▪ a full-length fur coat
6. a long time
▷ a long time /ə ˌlɒŋ ˈtaɪmǁ-ˌlɔːŋ-/ [noun phrase]
▪ It’s good to see you again, Ben -- it’s been a really long time.
(for) a long time
▪ He’s lived here a long time.
▪ The house has been empty for a long time.
in a long time
▪ I haven’t heard from Chuck in a long time.
▪ It’s about the worst cold I’ve had in a long time.
a long time ago
▪ We met in August 1947, a long time ago.
▪ I’ve been to California, but it was a very long time ago.
a very long time/a long, long time
▪ We’ve been friends for a very long time.
▪ A long, long time ago, a king had three daughters.
it’s a long time since
▪ It’s a long time since I heard from Clive.
take (somebody) a long time (to do something)
▪ It’s a big file, so it’ll take a long time to print out.
▪ It’s taking you a long time to finish that assignment, isn’t it?
last a long time
▪ That’s a big notepad you have there, it should last a long time.
▷ a while /ə ˈwaɪl/ [noun phrase]
a fairly long time :
for a while
▪ How’s Lynne? I haven’t seen her for a while.
▪ So you guys were in Brazil for a while, huh?
in a while
▪ I haven’t worn that jacket in a while.
after a while
▪ After a while, I realised he was serious.
a while ago/back
▪ He fought for the title a while ago.
▪ ‘Is that a photo of him?’ ‘Yeah, that was taken a while back - his hair’s longer now.’
it’s (been) a while since
▪ It’s been a while since I read the book, and I can’t remember much about it, to be honest.
quite a while
a long time
▪ He’s been going out with her quite a while now, hasn’t he?
a long while
▪ I haven’t played chess in a really long while.
a little while
▪ Can I hold her for a little while?
▪ A little while later, Rick returned with the drinks.
take (somebody) a while
▪ It took me a while before I could understand him.
▪ Your leg will take a while to get better, Mary.
▷ long /lɒŋǁlɔːŋ/ [adverb]
a long time, or for a long time :
▪ Have you been waiting long?
▪ I won’t be long.
▪ It has long been recognized that a high fat diet can cause heart problems.
long before/after
▪ Long after the war, the wreckage of his plane was discovered.
▪ They ran out of things to talk about long before they arrived.
▪ 75 percent of the battered women in our survey stayed with their husbands long after most people would have left.
so long
▪ They’ve been together so long, I can’t figure out why they don’t get married.
long ago
▪ I guess it didn’t happen very long ago.
take (somebody) so long
▪ I don’t visit very often because it takes so long to get over there.
▪ I’m sorry this is taking so long.
▷ for long /fəʳ ˈlɒŋǁ-ˈlɔːŋ/ [adverb usually in questions or negative sentences]
for a long time :
▪ Have you been working here for long?
▪ I hope his speech doesn’t go on for long.
▪ He’ll have to stay in hospital, but not for long.
for very long
▪ I haven’t known them for very long.
▷ hours/months/years etc /ˈaʊəʳz/ [plural noun]
many hours, months, or years, and a lot longer than you expected :
▪ It was years before we found out the truth.
▪ Sorry I’m late. Had to wait hours for a bus.
▪ Justin spends hours and hours just playing this one game.
for hours/months/years etc
▪ I must get the car serviced -- I’ve been putting it off for months.
▪ Henry seemed to be on the phone for hours last night.
months/years/hours etc ago
▪ I bought this pen years ago. Two pounds it cost me!
▪ Rob went out hours ago, and he’s not back yet.
be weeks/months/hours etc since
▪ It’s been years since I was there, the place must have changed.
▷ all day/week etc long /ˌɔːl deɪ ˈlɒŋǁ-ˈlɔːŋ/ [adverb]
for the whole of one day, the whole of one week etc :
▪ It’s been snowing almost all day long.
▪ I’ve been thinking about you all night long.
▷ ages /ˈeɪdʒɪz, ˈeɪdʒəz/ [plural noun] especially British, spoken
a very long time :
(for) ages
▪ I’ve had that jar of coffee ages, you’d better throw it out.
▪ Derek’s been telling her for ages to get another job.
it’s ages since
▪ It’s ages since we played this game - I’d forgotten how good you are.
▪ It seems like ages since we saw Ron and Eileen.
ages ago
a long time ago
▪ ‘When did you sell the car?’ ‘Ages ago!’
▪ I emailed you ages ago -- hasn’t it arrived?
wait/spend ages
▪ I spent ages in town trying to find something to wear for the wedding.
▪ We had to wait ages till the doctor could see us.
ages and ages
use this to emphasize how long something takes or lasts
▪ Oh come on, we haven’t had chips for ages and ages.
▷ forever /fərˈevəʳ/ [adverb] spoken
a very long time, or too long :
▪ Let me see the map, or we’ll be driving round here forever.
▪ God’s love endures forever.
go on forever
▪ Well, I don’t suppose the police will let the situation go on forever!
▪ We had a game of Scrabble that seemed to go on forever.
last forever
▪ You go into marriage thinking it’s going to last forever.
▪ These wool blankets pretty much last forever, don’t they?
forever and a day
use this to emphasize that something continues for a very long time
▪ I’m staying here. If I go with you, it’ll take forever and a day.
▷ for the longest time /fəʳ ðə ˌlɒŋgə̇st ˈtaɪmǁ-ˌlɔːŋ-/ [adverb] American spoken
if you wait, walk, stand etc for the longest time, you do it for a very long time :
▪ We sat in the bar drinking for the longest time.
▪ For the longest time, we didn’t even realize he was gone.
▷ donkey’s years /ˈdɒŋkiz ˌjɪəʳzǁˈdɑːŋ-/ [noun phrase] British informal
a long time, used especially to say that something happened a very long time ago :
for donkey’s years
▪ She worked in the shop for donkey’s years, although the pay was awful.
donkey’s years ago
▪ We used to play golf together, but that was donkey’s years ago.
donkey’s years since
▪ It’s donkey’s years since I went to the movies.
▷ in living memory /ɪn ˌlɪvɪŋ ˈmem ə ri/ [adverb]
for as long as people who are still alive can remember :
▪ It was the hottest summer in living memory.
▪ For the first time in living memory, old Jack had left the island.
within living memory
▪ The site had only flooded once within living memory.
7. continuing for a long time
▷ long /lɒŋǁlɔːŋ/ [adjective]
continuing for a long time :
▪ The play was good, but it was a little too long.
▪ He died after a long illness.
▪ It’s a long flight - 15 hours.
▷ lengthy /ˈleŋθi/ [adjective]
a lengthy process or delay takes a long time so that you have to wait before you can do something :
▪ She died of natural causes after a lengthy illness.
▪ The runways have reopened, but travelers have been warned to expect lengthy delays.
lengthy process/procedure etc
▪ He was indicted on drug charges after a lengthy investigation by the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
▪ The procedures for bringing a body back for burial are lengthy and complex.
▪ Creating a new network system is a lengthy process.
▷ long-running /ˌlɒŋ ˈrʌnɪŋ◂ǁˌlɔːŋ-/ [adjective only before noun]
a long-running event or performance is one that continues for a very long time :
▪ The action is the latest in a long-running battle between the US and Canada relating to Cuban relations.
▪ The proposal would end a long-running dispute between the Internal Revenue and the petroleum producers.
▪ The long-running musical "Jesus Christ Superstar' is to close after more than 3,000 performances.
▷ long-standing /ˌlɒŋ ˈstændɪŋ◂ǁˌlɔːŋ-/ [adjective only before noun]
a long-standing situation, agreement, or arrangement has continued for a long time and is likely to continue for a long time in the future :
▪ Motorola has a long-standing agreement to provide at least one week’s training to all new employees.
▪ The area is populated by Kurdish rebels who have long-standing grievances against Hussein.
▪ GM maintains a long-standing policy of not commenting on market speculation and rumour.
▷ lasting /ˈlɑːstɪŋǁˈlæs-/ [adjective only before noun]
strong enough or great enough to continue for a long time :
▪ The speech could do lasting damage to US--German relations.
▪ Japan’s creation of a Western-style economy has been the country’s lasting achievement.
lasting effect/impact etc
▪ His next book is about the lasting effects of the Vietnam war.
lasting peace/friendship/agreement etc
▪ Until we all give up violence, there cannot possibly be lasting peace in the world.
leave/make a lasting impression
▪ The incident left a lasting impression on the young girl.
▷ lifelong /ˈlaɪflɒŋǁ-lɔːŋ/ [adjective]
continuing for all of someone’s life - use this about relationships, interests and feelings etc :
▪ She first visited Ireland when she was ten, and developed a lifelong interest in the country.
▪ Depression has been a lifelong struggle for me.
lifelong ambition/dream etc
▪ According to his biographers, he had a lifelong ambition to make money.
▪ For many people, owning their own business is a lifelong goal.
lifelong member/resident/friend etc
▪ Virginia Maples, a lifelong resident, praised the town for its neighborliness.
▪ Alvin met the poet Hughes, who became a lifelong friend and confidante.
▷ prolonged /prəˈlɒŋdǁ-ˈlɔːŋd/ [adjective]
continuing for a long time, or longer than you expected :
▪ How are you going to explain your prolonged absence?
▪ a prolonged and bloody battle for independence
▪ Studies show that prolonged exposure to maternal depression can result in childhood mood disorders.
▷ lingering /ˈlɪŋg ə rɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
lingering doubts, hopes, or other feelings continue for a long time, especially long after a particular event :
▪ She had a lingering sense of guilt for some time after breaking off her relationship with Henry.
▪ For years, Mexico’s primary feeling toward the US was one of lingering resentment.
▪ What will be the lingering images of the Sydney Olympic Games?
▪ If he had any lingering doubts about the marriage, he did not show it.
▷ enduring /ɪnˈdjʊ ə rɪŋǁ-ˈdʊ ə -/ [adjective]
an enduring feeling, memory, influence, quality or relationship continues for a long time :
▪ His childhood experiences had an enduring influence on his work.
▪ My most enduring memory of my father is watching him clean his rifle.
▪ The friendships formed in her schooldays proved to be the most enduring.
▪ Cartoons have a universal and enduring appeal.
▷ abiding /əˈbaɪdɪŋ/ [adjective] formal
an abiding feeling, belief, or interest continues for a long time and is not likely to change :
▪ She had a basic and abiding belief in democratic systems.
▪ As a boy he had had an abiding curiosity about how things worked.
▪ The internal security of his country was the President’s other abiding concern.
▪ His father had an abiding interest in nature.
▷ chronic /ˈkrɒnɪkǁˈkrɑː-/ [adjective usually before noun]
a chronic illness or bad situation continues for a very long time or is permanent :
▪ China has a chronic shortage of capital, so it must encourage saving.
▪ the chronic decay of the inner city areas
▪ We need to take steps to counter the chronic decline in our export market.
▪ He suffers from chronic asthma.
chronically [adverb]
▪ care of the chronically ill
8. continuing for too long
▷ long-drawn-out /ˌlɒŋ drɔːn ˈaʊt◂ǁˌlɔːŋ-/ [adjective]
a long-drawn-out process continues for a long time, is very tiring, and probably continues for longer than it needs to :
▪ The long-drawn-out campaigns that precede every election in the US have already begun.
▪ This war is too one-sided to be very long-drawn-out.
▪ Netscape faces a long-drawn-out battle with software giant Microsoft.
▪ Building up a successful herd is a long-drawn out process of careful buying and breeding.
▷ long-winded /ˌlɒŋ ˈwɪndə̇d◂ǁˌlɔːŋ-/ [adjective]
a speech or piece of writing that is long-winded is too long and therefore boring or difficult to understand :
▪ Jacques launched into a long-winded explanation that left us just as confused as before.
▪ Her letters do tend to be a bit long-winded.
▪ I’m sick of reading badly-written and long-winded scripts by candidates who should know better.
▷ protracted /prəˈtræktɪd, prəˈtræktəd/ [adjective]
something unpleasant that is protracted continues for a long time, which makes it worse than usual :
▪ After a bloody and protracted struggle, the ‘Mau-Mau’ fighters forced Britain to grant independence.
▪ This marks the first day of what is likely to be a protracted and bitter courtroom battle.
▪ There was a protracted silence, after which Lydia said quietly, ‘I’m to inherit all the money -- you’ll get nothing.’
▷ interminable /ɪnˈtɜːʳmɪnəb ə l, ɪnˈtɜːʳmənəb ə l/ [adjective] formal
continuing for a very long time so that it becomes boring and you become impatient :
▪ The ride back to the city seemed interminable.
▪ What’s the reason for all these interminable delays?
▪ She wasn’t looking forward to the interminable winter nights, alone in the cabin.
▪ He launched into an interminable monologue about his last therapy session.
interminably [adverb]
▪ The first course took an interminably long time to arrive.
▪ He paused interminably after each question we asked him.
▷ drag on /ˌdræg ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to continue for too long and so become boring or annoying :
▪ Despair grew as the war dragged on.
▪ Presidential campaigns seem to drag on forever.
▪ If the stalemate drags on, there could be serious consequences for the town’s population.
drag on for weeks/years etc
▪ Lawsuits about titles to land often drag on for years without settlement.
▪ The fighting dragged on for another two years before a settlement was finally reached.
drag on into October/2002/next year etc
▪ Analysts fear the downturn will drag on into next year.
drag on until 1945/2.00 a.m. etc
▪ The meeting dragged on until late afternoon.
▷ take ages/years/forever etc /ˌteɪk ˈeɪdʒə̇z/ [verb phrase]
to take much longer than seems reasonable :
▪ Getting visas to visit America seemed to take ages.
▪ The problem with letters is that they always get lost or take forever to arrive.
▪ It’ll take days to sort this mess out.
take somebody ages/years/forever etc
▪ It took me ages to get all that washing done.
▪ It took Josephine months to finish writing her dissertation.
9. to continue for longer than was planned or expected
▷ overrun/run over /ˌəʊvəˈrʌn, ˌrʌn ˈəʊvəʳ/ [intransitive verb/intransitive phrasal verb]
if an activity such as a meeting or game overruns or runs over, it continues longer than it is supposed to do :
▪ The meeting is going to overrun so we’d better find out what time they close the building.
▪ If the ceremony runs over, I’ll switch to Channel 17.
overrun by 10 minutes/an hour/two days etc
▪ The scenes were cut because the preceding programme overran by 10 minutes.
run over time
▪ Well, what do you know? We’ve run over time, and there’s no time for questions.
▷ run on /ˌrʌn ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb] informal
to last for a long time, especially longer than expected or planned :
▪ Don’t allow meetings to run on; set an agenda and stick to it.
▪ Business lunches do tend to run on sometimes.
▪ Sorry, I’m running on a bit. What did you want to say?
10. when you need a lot of time in order to do something
▷ take a long time /ˌteɪk ə ˌlɒŋ ˈtaɪmǁ-ˌlɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase]
▪ Our visit took a long time, and we returned home late for lunch.
▪ Downloading audio files via a modem takes a long time.
it takes (somebody) a long time (to do something)
▪ It took a long time to get to know him, but we became good friends in the end.
▪ I’ve never done one of these tests before - it took me a long time.
▪ It takes a long time for people in this community to accept you.
▷ time-consuming /ˈtaɪm kənˌsjuːmɪŋǁ-ˌsuː-/ [adjective]
a method, activity or process that is time-consuming takes a long time especially because it contains a lot of stages or separate pieces of work :
▪ Repairs can be time-consuming and expensive.
▪ Caring for a disabled child is a time-consuming, but ultimately rewarding, job.
▪ We wanted to avoid costly, time-consuming legislation.
11. art, writing, ideas etc that last for a long time
▷ timeless /ˈtaɪmləs/ [adjective]
music, literature, art etc, that is timeless still seems important and interesting even though it was written or made a long time ago :
▪ Crosby’s ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ remains a timeless classic.
▪ In the south-west of England, the scenery is timeless and unmistakably agricultural.
timeless appeal/quality
▪ Shakespeare’s plays have a timeless appeal to all audiences.
▪ If a song is good enough, it has a timeless quality.
▷ immortal /ɪˈmɔːʳtl/ [adjective only before noun]
immortal words, lines etc are famous and are remembered for a long time after they are written or spoken :
▪ In the immortal words of Henry Ford, ‘History is bunk.’
▪ J.M. Barrie’s immortal tale of Peter Pan
▷ classic /ˈklæsɪk/ [adjective only before noun]
a classic book, film, design etc is one that is important or special and remains popular for a long time :
▪ The Coca-Cola bottle is one of the classic designs of our century.
▪ the classic Bogart version of ‘The Maltese Falcon’
▪ ‘Jane Eyre’ is Bronte’s classic novel of courage in the face of despair.
▪ Professor Carey wrote the classic account of early explorations in Africa and Asia.
12. to make something last longer
▷ prolong /prəˈlɒŋǁ-ˈlɔːŋ/ [transitive verb]
to make something such as a feeling, process or activity last longer :
▪ He asked her another question just to prolong the conversation.
▪ Users turn to the drug in the belief that it prolongs and enhances sex.
▪ It seems he’s eager to prolong his trial for as long as possible.
▪ A heart transplant might prolong his life for a few years.
▷ extend /ɪkˈstend/ [transitive verb]
to add extra time to something that had a limit on the amount of time it could last :
▪ I’ll have to ask the bank to extend the repayment time on my loan.
▪ TV coverage of the match had to be extended when it went into extra time.
▪ These cleaning devices are meant to extend the life of your cassettes.
extend something to February/next year etc
▪ The current contract expires in December, but will be extended to February 2004.
▷ drag out /ˌdræg ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make a boring or unpleasant activity or piece of work last much longer than necessary, especially because you gain some advantage by doing this :
drag something out
▪ There was really no need to drag the meeting out that long.
drag out something
▪ The protests could actually drag out the proceedings.
▷ spin out /ˌspɪn ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb] British informal
to deliberately make an activity last longer than necessary especially so that it fills the time available :
spin something out
▪ Well, the lawyers always spin it out, don’t they -- that’s how they make their money!
spin out something
▪ We were paid by the hour, so I spun out the work for as long as I could.
▷ eke out /ˌiːk ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make your money or food last as long as possible by spending or using it carefully :
eke out something
▪ I pictured her trying to eke out her money to last to the end of the month.
eke something out
▪ We watered down the wine so as to eke it out for the remainder of the evening.
eke out a living/existence
▪ She eked out a miserable living as a washer woman.
13. when someone lives for a very long time
▷ longevity /lɒnˈdʒevɪti, lɒnˈdʒevətiǁlɑːn-, lɔːn-/ [uncountable noun] formal :
▪ The more successful we are at prolonging longevity, the more it will cost us in elderly care costs.
▪ the disparity in the longevity of the sexes
health and longevity
▪ The people of this village enjoy good health and longevity.
somebody’s longevity
▪ He attributes his longevity to ‘a simple diet and a glass of wine every day’.