lengthen
Americanverb (used with object)
-
lengthens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lengthened,
past participle, past
-
lengthening
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
lengthens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lengthened,
past participle, past
-
lengthening
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
lengthensimple
-
lengthenssimple
-
have lengthenedperfect
-
has lengthenedperfect
-
am lengtheningprogressive
-
are lengtheningprogressive
-
is lengtheningprogressive
-
have been lengtheningperfect progressive
-
has been lengtheningperfect progressive
Past
-
lengthenedsimple
-
had lengthenedperfect
-
was lengtheningprogressive
-
were lengtheningprogressive
-
had been lengtheningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lengthen
Explanation
To lengthen is to make something longer, either physically or in time. During the spring and early summer, the days lengthen, as sundown comes later and later. Mascara lengthens your eyelashes, and letting out your hem lengthens your jeans. As time goes by, your years of experience lengthen, and if you don't cut your hair or trim your beard, those lengthen as well. Lengthen dates from the 14th century — earlier, the verb was length, from a Germanic root that's also the basis of "long."
Vocabulary lists containing lengthen
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.
See Examples For:
As the nights lengthen through autumn, one of the most recognisable star clusters in the night sky becomes increasingly prominent.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Scientists have long known that reducing calorie intake can lengthen lifespan in many organisms and lower the risk of age-related illnesses such as cancer.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
Developers at a new New York luxury condo have leased its commercial space to a high-end longevity company that offers to lengthen the lives of its members.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
Airport security lines could lengthen as over 11% of TSA officers previously called out when unpaid, with some airports reaching 50%.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
Serving men hurried to lengthen the table on the dais, fetching trestles and chairs.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
The findings, published in Current Biology, suggest that the spiral forms as the embryo's body rapidly lengthens while its gut acts as a tether.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
“As the delay lengthens, financing costs, integration risk, transaction expenses and lost strategic flexibility become increasingly tangible,” said Barak Orbach, a law and business professor at the University of Arizona.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The transaction lengthens a list of Latin American divestments in recent years including Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026
Neser lengthens Australia's batting at number eight and has the experience of the Gabba being his home ground, but only Warne and McGrath have more wickets than Lyon in Brisbane.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025
The stem lengthens until the tip hits the platform, like a kite's tail.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
In a bid to limit the stress on his body, he lengthened his run-up in 2018, and that did allow him to play key roles in some of England's biggest successes in recent years.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
It shrank from roughly 44 to eight aircraft between 2002 and 2013, even as fire seasons lengthened and intensified.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
AI has the ability to accelerate analysis and speed up work — but paradoxically, it’s lengthened the process of finding the right person for an open role in many cases.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
As necks lengthened over evolutionary time, the nerve was stretched rather than rerouted.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Her curls fell loose and free past her shoulders, and when she glanced at her hand, the way her fingers had lengthened into claws, she knew she had changed.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
“Higher inventory and lengthening days on market give buyers improved negotiating power,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
"So they detach the slow-growing gut, which is now tethering the lengthening body. The body buckles and twists into coiling," Miyashita explains.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
The “clearest story” of car loans in recent years has been their lengthening terms, according to Gregory.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Rising temperatures have added more warm, humid days to the calendar in much of the US, lengthening the season in which the disease-carrying insects thrive.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Hence the elimination of Saturday classes, the shortening of the school day, and the lengthening of vacation—all of which occurred over the course of the nineteenth century.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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