long-lasting
Americanadjective
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enduring or existing for a long period of time.
a long-lasting friendship.
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effective for a relatively long period of time.
a long-lasting pain reliever.
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resisting the effects of wear or use over a long period.
a long-lasting fabric used for work clothes.
Etymology
Origin of long-lasting
First recorded in 1520–30
Explanation
Long-lasting things stick around for a while. If the medicine you're taking for your sore throat has long-lasting side effects, they'll affect you for many weeks or even months. A long-lasting relationship lasts for years, and long-lasting makeup stays on your face all day, until you wash it off at night. This adjective can mean that something is durable or resilient, or in other words that it holds up over time. Other things are simply long-lasting by coincidence — they've just been there for a long time.
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.
A supernova would normally be expected if a long-lasting X-ray flash had been produced by the collapse of a massive star.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
It turns out that the Great Recession did some long-lasting damage to the rental-housing market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
However, rate-setters signaled that they would respond if the pickup in inflation threatened to become long-lasting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The California coast has also been dealing with a long-lasting marine heat wave unrelated to El Niño, which can also raise the sea level.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
These examples illustrate the broad range of questions concerning cultural idiosyncrasies, unrelated to environment and initially of little significance, that might evolve into influential and long-lasting cultural features.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
