long-lasting

American  

[lawng-las-ting, -lah-sting, long-] / ˈlɔŋˈlæs tɪŋ, -ˈlɑ stɪŋ, ˈlɒŋ- /

adjective

1. enduring or existing for a long period of time.

   a long-lasting friendship.

2. effective for a relatively long period of time.

   a long-lasting pain reliever.

3. resisting the effects of wear or use over a long period.

   a long-lasting fabric used for work clothes.

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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

What’s more, the war has done long-lasting damage to infrastructure, and some facilities could take years to come back—if they come back at all.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

However, a long-lasting blockade would increase the risk that workers demand and secure higher wages, and that businesses raise prices of goods and services to cover their increased costs, prolonging the inflation bump.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Large, long-lasting storms developed just west of Interstate 95.

From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026

But another major water source for Southern California, the Colorado River, also has been affected by a long-lasting megadrought that began in 2000.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

But I’d had worse pain, duller and more long-lasting, from various injuries.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

• abiding
• durable