lengthy
Americanadjective
-
lengthier,
comparative
-
lengthiest
superlative
-
having or being of great length; very long.
a lengthy journey.
-
tediously verbose; very long; too long.
a lengthy speech.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of lengthy
Explanation
Lengthy things are long and drawn out. Your teacher's lengthy lecture might extend far beyond the end of class and leave many people dozing at their desks. The adjective lengthy is almost always used to describe a duration of time (or sometimes a long piece of writing), rather than the physical length of something. So long-lasting speeches and endless waits at the bus stop could both be called lengthy, but you wouldn't describe your friend's long hair that way. Lengthy is an 18th century American invention, also adopted by the British in the nineteenth century.
Vocabulary lists containing lengthy
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:
The Lincoln is not the only carrier to face issues due to a lengthy time at sea: the USS Gerald R. Ford also suffered various problems during a recent 326-day deployment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Others said they found "closure" in knowing the fire was intentional and not something that, after a lengthy investigation, could ultimately be attributed to a freak accident or a natural ignition.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
He initially issued a restraining order, followed by a more lengthy preliminary injunction that ordered Nexstar to halt its integration while the court case was pending.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Elbow surgeries tend to come with a lengthy recovery timeline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
By this time, the cub has already been wandering away from Mama for lengthy periods to feed and explore, so her absence isn’t altogether jarring.
From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh
Loadings at a Mediterranean port have picked up as Saudi Arabia races to offer its oil to buyers through a lengthier — and more expensive — backdoor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
When it comes to longer-term bonds, the analysts’ formula requires an even lengthier holding period.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
There is likely to be some sunshine at times, and in any lengthier sunny periods it may start to feel particularly warm.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
Demand also was strong for lengthier maturities, with a new 30-year bond seeing strong demand External link at Thursday’s auction.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
Many judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers do a poor job of recognizing the special needs of the mentally disabled, which leads to wrongful convictions, lengthier prison terms, and high rates of recidivism.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
After the onset of the pandemic, Corning endured six consecutive quarters of shrinking revenue, its lengthiest drop since the 2001 telecom crash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026
Liu’s case appears to be one of the lengthiest deputy shooting investigations in recent sheriff’s department history, according to county records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 17, 2023
Seattle had its lengthiest injury report of the season Thursday with 11 players not participating and three others limited.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
According to BBC Weather's Billy Payne, central and eastern England can expect the lengthiest clear spells overnight and should have the best viewing conditions.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2023
But the lengthiest story in the book, “The Farmer and the Hunt,” was unfamiliar to her, and she stared often and long at the illustration that accompanied it.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
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.
