lengthy

[ lengk-thee, leng-, len- ]

adjective

, length·i·er, length·i·est.

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

   a lengthy journey.

2. tediously verbose; very long; too long:

   a lengthy speech.

lengthy

/ ˈlɛŋθɪ; ˈlɛŋkθɪ /

adjective

1. of relatively great or tiresome extent or duration

Derived Forms

• ˈlengthiness, noun
• ˈlengthily, adverb

Other Words From

• lengthi·ly adverb
• lengthi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lengthy¹

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

Example Sentences

This sparked a lengthy legal battle 6,000 miles away in the UK, and while that took its course, Shanthi and the others stuck there, took matters into her own hands.

From BBC

That same year, Ghana defaulted on its debt repayments and the government is still in lengthy negotiations with international lenders to try and restructure the loans.

From BBC

In the further defense of those noble souls, my absurdly lengthy search process is partly due to how little I knew and my specific desires.

From Salon

Authorities said the gunman had a lengthy mental health and criminal history, which included charges of theft, fraud and forgery over the years.

From BBC

A complex and lengthy draw ceremony was held across two separate Miami locations and lasted more than 90 minutes, during which a new Club World Cup trophy was revealed.

From BBC

Related Words

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