lengthen

American  

[lengk-thuhn, leng-, len-] / ˈlɛŋk θən, ˈlɛŋ-, ˈlɛn- /

verb (used with object)

1. to make longer; make greater in length.

   Synonyms:

   elongate

   Antonyms:

   shorten

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verb (used without object)

1. to become greater in length; grow long or longer.

lengthen British  

/ ˈlɛŋθən, ˈlɛŋkθən /

verb

1. to make or become longer

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Related Words

Lengthen, extend, stretch, prolong, protract agree in the idea of making longer. To lengthen is to make longer, either in a material or an immaterial sense: to lengthen a dress. To extend is to lengthen beyond some original point or so as to reach a certain point: to extend a railway line by a hundred miles. To stretch is primarily to lengthen by drawing or tension: to stretch a rubber band. Both prolong and protract mean especially to lengthen in time, and therefore apply to intangibles. To prolong is to continue beyond the desired, estimated, or allotted time: to prolong an interview. To protract is to draw out to undue length or to be slow in coming to a conclusion: to protract a discussion.

Other Word Forms

• lengthener noun
• outlengthen verb (used with object)
• unlengthened adjective

Etymology

Origin of lengthen

First recorded in 1490–1500; length + -en ¹

Example Sentences

The transaction lengthens a list of Latin American divestments in recent years including Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica and Guatemala.

From Barron's

I speak, of course, of the, uh, rising Winter Olympic panic that male ski jumpers, hoping to improve aerodynamics and, um, lengthen their jumps, may be covertly:

From The Wall Street Journal

Enlarging the suit by around three-quarters of an inch was enough to increase lift by 5% and lengthen jumps by more than 16 feet, according to the scientific research.

From The Wall Street Journal

The government's proposed changes would extend the standard wait to qualify for settlement to 10 years, although there would be criteria which could lengthen or shorten it.

From BBC

Wait times have lengthened as power officials study whether there is enough power to support them while keeping the lights on for other customers, especially during heat waves and cold snaps when electricity demand surges.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• augment
• elongate
• expand
• prolong