long

[ lawng, long ]

/ lɔŋ, lɒŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR long ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, long·er [lawng-ger, long-] /ˈlɔŋ gər, ˈlɒŋ-/, long·est [lawng-gist, long-] /ˈlɔŋ gɪst, ˈlɒŋ-/.

having considerable linear extent in space: a long distance; a long handle.

having considerable duration in time: a long conversation; a long while.

extending, lasting, or totaling a number of specified units: eight miles long; eight hours long.

containing many items or units: a long list.

requiring a considerable time to relate, read, etc.: a long story.

extending beyond normal or moderate limits: a long, boring speech.

experienced as passing slowly, because of the difficulty, tedium, or unpleasantness involved: long years of study.

reaching well into the past: a long memory.

the longer of two or the longest of several: the long way home; a brick with the long side exposed.

taking a long time; slow: He's certainly long getting here.

forward-looking or considering all aspects; broad: to take a long view of life.

intense, thorough, or critical; seriously appraising: a long look at one's past mistakes.

having an ample supply or endowment of something (often followed by on): to be long on advice; to be long on brains.

having a considerable time to run, as a promissory note.

Chiefly Law. distant or remote in time: a long date.

extending relatively far: a man with a long reach.

being higher or taller than usual: long casement windows.

being against great odds; unlikely: a long chance.

(of beverages) mixed or diluted with a large amount of soda, seltzer, etc.: highballs, collinses, and other long drinks.

(of the head or skull) of more than ordinary length from front to back.

Phonetics.

lasting a relatively long time: “Feed” has a longer sound than “feet” or “fit.”
belonging to a class of sounds considered as usually longer in duration than another class, as the vowel of bought as compared to that of but, and in many languages serving as a distinctive feature of phonemes, as the ah in German Bahn in contrast with the a in Bann, or the tt in Italian fatto in contrast with the t in fato (opposed to short).
having the sound of the English vowels in mate, meet, mite, mote, moot, and mute, historically descended from vowels that were long in duration.

Prosody. (of a syllable in quantitative verse) lasting a longer time than a short syllable.

Finance. holding or accumulating stocks, futures, commodities, etc., with the expectation of a rise in prices: a long position in chemicals.

Gambling.

marked by a large difference in the numbers of the given betting ratio or in the amounts wagered: long odds.
of or relating to the larger amount bet.

Ceramics. (of clay) very plastic; fat.

noun

a comparatively long time: They haven't been gone for long. Will it take long?

something that is long: The signal was two longs and a short.

a size of garment for men who are taller than average.

a garment, as a suit or overcoat, in this size: The shorts and the longs are hung separately.

Finance. a person who accumulates or holds stocks or commodities with the expectation of a rise in prices.

Music. longa.

adverb

for or through a great extent of space or, especially, time: a reform long advocated.

for or throughout a specified extent, especially of time: How long did he stay?

(used elliptically in referring to the length of an absence, delay, etc.): Will she be long?

throughout a specified period of time (usually used to emphasize a preceding noun): It's been muggy all summer long.

at a point of time far distant from the time indicated: long before.

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orchard

body of land completely surrounded by water

group of cultivated fruit trees

long mournful cry

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Idioms for long

as long as,

provided that: As long as you can come by six, I'll be here.
seeing that; since: As long as you're going to the grocery anyway, buy me a pint of ice cream.
Also so long as. during the time that; through the period that: As long as we were neighbors, they never invited us inside their house.

before long, soon: We should have news of her whereabouts before long.

the long and the short of, the point or gist of; substance of: The long and the short of it is that they will be forced to sell all their holdings.Also the long and short of.

Origin of long

before 900; (adj.) Middle English longe, Old English lang, long; cognate with Dutch, German lang, Old Norse langr, Gothic langs, Latin longus; (noun) late Middle English, derivative of the adj.; (adv.) Middle English long(e), lange, Old English longe, lange, cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German lango

SYNONYMS FOR long

1 lengthy, extensive.

2 protracted, prolonged, extended.

6 overlong, wordy, prolix; tedious, boring.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR long ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM long

long·ly, adverblong·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH long

long longe lounge lunge

Words nearby long

lonely, lonely hearts, lonely-hearts, loner, lonesome, long, long abductor muscle of thumb, long account, long ago, long and short of it, the, long arm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for before long (1 of 5)

Long

/ (lɒŋ) /

noun

Crawford Williamson. 1815–78, US surgeon. He was the first to use ether as an anaesthetic

British Dictionary definitions for before long (2 of 5)

long¹

/ (lɒŋ) /

adjective

having relatively great extent in space on a horizontal plane

having relatively great duration in time

(postpositive) of a specified number of units in extent or durationthree hours long
(in combination)a two-foot-long line

having or consisting of a relatively large number of items or partsa long list

having greater than the average or expected rangea long memory

being the longer or longest of alternativesthe long way to the bank

having more than the average or usual quantity, extent, or durationa long match

seeming to occupy a greater time than is really soshe spent a long afternoon waiting in the departure lounge

intense or thorough (esp in the phrase a long look)

(of drinks) containing a large quantity of nonalcoholic beverage

(of a garment) reaching to the wearer's ankles

informal (foll by on) plentifully supplied or endowed (with)long on good ideas

phonetics (of a speech sound, esp a vowel)

of relatively considerable duration
classified as long, as distinguished from the quality of other vowels
(in popular usage) denoting the qualities of the five English vowels in such words as mate, mete, mite, moat, moot, and mute

from end to end; lengthwise

unlikely to win, happen, succeed, etca long chance

prosody

denoting a vowel of relatively great duration or (esp in classical verse) followed by more than one consonant
denoting a syllable containing such a vowel
(in verse that is not quantitative) carrying the emphasis or ictus

finance having or characterized by large holdings of securities or commodities in anticipation of rising pricesa long position

cricket (of a fielding position) near the boundarylong leg

informal (of people) tall and slender

in the long run See run (def. 82)

long in the tooth informal old or ageing