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:
“Nick’s sense of urgency is real, but it did not arise in a vacuum,” lawyers for the former manager of the trust wrote Thursday in a lengthy response to Reiner’s demand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
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
But hours after a lengthy list of celebrities were seen entering the venue in gowns and suits, large screens attached to the arena announced publicly that the famous couple were officially wed.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 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
He moved several yards down the beach and began a new equation, captivating his audience with a lengthy explanation of each new and complex symbol.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
But lengthier and more frequent periods of hot and dry weather are increasingly a challenge.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 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
Some retailers say the switch to a lengthier delivery time came with an unexpected benefit: a drop in returns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 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
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
He was outlasting Djokovic on the lengthiest baseline exchanges.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 2, 2023
The extreme heat warning has been in place for a large part of England and Wales for four days - making it the lengthiest alert since the system was introduced last year.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2022
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.
