prolong
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to lengthen out in time; extend the duration of; cause to continue longer.
to prolong one's stay abroad.
- Antonyms:
- abbreviate
-
to make longer in spatial extent.
to prolong a line.
verb
Related Words
See lengthen.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prolong
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English prolongen, from Late Latin prōlongāre “to lengthen,” equivalent to prō- “forward, forth” + long(us) “long” + -ā- theme vowel + -re infinitive ending; see pro- 1, long 1
Explanation
I don't want to prolong this definition, so I'll keep it short. To prolong is to make something last longer or to stretch it out in time. You see the word long in prolong and it's no trick. If you prolong an argument with a sibling, you make it longer than it naturally would be. Prolong always has to do with time. When you stretch your neck or a piece of cloth to make it appear longer, you are elongating, not prolonging, it.
Vocabulary lists containing prolong
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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ACT Vocabulary List
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Words for Carolers
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Step 6: Prolong the investigation as long as you want.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2023
Prolong the life of women with triple negative breast cancer?
From Seattle Times • Mar. 1, 2011
Prolong your stay here but a few days, Sir Councillor!
From Henrik Ibsen's Prose Dramas Vol III Lady Inger of Ostrat by Ibsen, Henrik
She recalled and repeated aloud one of her mother's stanzas: "'Sweet as a wind-lute's airy strains Your gentle muse has learned to sing And California's boundless plains Prolong the soft notes echoing.'"
From The Valley of the Moon by London, Jack
Prolong, prolong that tide of song, O leafy nightingale and thrush!
From Poems — Volume 1 by Meredith, George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
