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:
It has faced a lengthy period of uncertainty following difficulties with its landlord, Zedwell LSQ Ltd, whose parent company is Criterion Capital.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
He also said lengthy construction schedules could hinder the company’s ability to hit some of its benchmarks, like deploying over 3 gigawatts of power by the end of 2027.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
The role required memorizing lengthy dialogue loaded with dates and names.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
But he warned the process was "lengthy" -- and they were in a race against time.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The Ayorthaians think before they speak, and often conclude, after lengthy meditation, that nothing need be said.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
The lengthier postseason would force the regular season to begin one week earlier and likely eliminate Power 4 conference championship games, which while lucrative, can be redundant and potentially problematic in impacting the CFP slate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
A trial judge followed just this approach and sentenced him to a lengthier term as a result—six years in prison.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
But lengthier and more frequent periods of hot and dry weather are increasingly a challenge.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Loadings at a Mediterranean port have picked up as Saudi Arabia races to offer its oil to buyers through a lengthier — and more expensive — backdoor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 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
He was outlasting Djokovic on the lengthiest baseline exchanges.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 2, 2023
According to BBC Weather's Billy Payne, central and eastern England can expect the lengthiest clear spells overnight and should have the best viewing conditions.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2023
The nine-game skid is Washington’s longest since dropping 11 consecutive games spanning the 2008 and 2009 seasons and its lengthiest in a single season since a 12-game slide in August 2008.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 16, 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
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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.
