Synonyms for long
- adjective
- verb
Most common
lengthy prolonged extended protracted far-seeing long-sighted tenacious slow
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Lengthy — having great duration
lengthy, prolonged, extended, protracted, tall, large, drawn-out, lasting, big, deep, high, lengthened, interminable, endless, long-winded, extensive, wordy, elongated, diffuse, prolix dated, longsome dated UK
2. Foresighted
far-seeing, long-sighted, far-sighted, foresighted rare, foresightful rare
3. Tenacious
tenacious, retentive, recollective rare
4. Slow — clipping of taking a long time
Other
longish, lank, far-reaching, elongate, sesquipedalian rare
Verb
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Having great duration.
His speech was long and dull.
- adj. 2
Having much distance in space from one end to the other.
I need a long piece of wood.
- adj. 3
Having much distance in space from one end to the other. Specifically, having much distance in a horizontal dimension (see also Usage Notes below).
This table is long but not very high.
- v. 1
To take a long position in.
Related words
- Word family
- longarm longbeard longboard longboat long-cripple long-distance long-drawn-out long-established
- Phrases
- long shot long suit so long as long as long pepper long take long since long for
- Is a kind of
- large
Forms
- Past participle
- longed
e.g. longed → yearned, hankered, wished, panted…
Choose the right word
Large denotes extension in more than one direction, and beyond the average of the class to which the object belongs; we speak of a large surface or a large solid, but of a long line; a large field, a large room, a large apple, etc.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- extended The extended handle on the fruit picker is sturdy.
- lengthy Too lengthy. One can cook coffee during that time.
- prolonged The economist anticipated a prolonged depression.
- protracted Protracted unemployment plagues many less-skilled workers.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| long | steady | |
| extended | steady | |
| lengthy | steady | |
| prolonged | falling | |
| protracted | steady | |
| longish | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- big1
- 4 letters
- high1, late1, wish1, deep1, slow1, tall1, pine1, pant1, lank1
- 5 letters
- large1, crave1, yearn1, wordy2
- 6 letters
- boring2, hunger2, thirst1, aspire2, hanker2, prolix
- 7 letters
- endless2, lasting2, lengthy2, diffuse2, longish2
- 8 letters
- extended3, elongate3, longsome
- 9 letters
- extensive3, prolonged2, elongated4, tenacious3, retentive
- 10 letters
- protracted3, lengthened2
- 11 letters
- foresighted
- 12 letters
- interminable5, foresightful, recollective
- 14 letters
- sesquipedalian
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (wordy2 = 2 syllables).