lengthy

American  

[lengk-thee, leng-, len-] / ˈlɛŋk θi, ˈlɛŋ-, ˈlɛn- /

adjective

lengthier, lengthiest

1. having or being of great length; very long.

   a lengthy journey.

2. tediously verbose; very long; too long.

   a lengthy speech.

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lengthy British  

/ ˈlɛŋθɪ, ˈlɛŋkθɪ /

adjective

1. of relatively great or tiresome extent or duration

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Other Word Forms

• lengthily adverb
• lengthiness noun

Etymology

Origin of lengthy

An Americanism dating back to 1680–90; length + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Any decision to strip someone of their citizenship is also likely to face a potentially lengthy and expensive legal challenge.

From BBC

That aspect of copyright law engendered a lengthy dispute waged by the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle against creative artists wishing to put Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson into new works.

From Los Angeles Times

The minutes will likely include a lengthy list of the reservations many Fed officials had about the December rate cut, Crandall added.

From MarketWatch

Patrolling drones verge on harassment if they track individuals for lengthy periods without warrant, the groups say.

From The Wall Street Journal

The region’s governor gave the go-ahead for the restart in November, after lengthy consultations with businesses and residents.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• drawn-out
• interminable
• long
• long-winded
• protracted
• tedious