long
adjective
having considerable linear extent in space.
long
1 American
[lawng, long]
/ lɔŋ, lɒŋ /
adjective
-
longer,
comparative
-
longest
superlative
-
having considerable linear extent in space.
a long distance; a long handle.
-
having considerable duration in time.
a long conversation; a long while.
- Synonyms:
- extended, protracted
-
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 byon ).
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.
idioms
-
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: Also the long and short of.
The long and the short of it is that they will be forced to sell all their holdings.
-
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.
-
long
2
American
[lawng, long]
/ lɔŋ, lɒŋ /
verb (used without object)
long
3
American
[lawng, long]
/ lɔŋ, lɒŋ /
verb (used without object)
-
Archaic. to be suitable or fitting.
-
Obsolete. to be the possession; belong.
Long
4
American
[lawng, long]
/ lɔŋ, lɒŋ /
noun
-
Crawford Williamson 1815–78, U.S. surgeon.
-
Huey Pierce 1893–1935, U.S. politician: governor of Louisiana 1928–31; U.S. senator 1931–35.
-
Russell B(illiu) 1918–2003, U.S. lawyer and politician: U.S. senator 1948–87 (son of Huey Long).
-
Stephen Harriman, 1784–1864, U.S. army officer and explorer.
long.
5
American
abbreviation
long
1
British
/ 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 duration
three hours long
-
( in combination )
a two-foot-long line
-
-
having or consisting of a relatively large number of items or parts
a long list
-
having greater than the average or expected range
a long memory
-
being the longer or longest of alternatives
the long way to the bank
-
having more than the average or usual quantity, extent, or duration
a long match
-
seeming to occupy a greater time than is really so
she 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 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, etc
a 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 prices
a long position
-
cricket (of a fielding position) near the boundary
long leg
-
informal (of people) tall and slender
-
See run
-
informal old or ageing
adverb
-
for a certain time or period
how long will it last?
-
for or during an extensive period of time
long into the next year
-
at a distant time; quite a bit of time
long before I met you
long ago
-
finance into a position with more security or commodity holdings than are required by sale contracts and therefore dependent on rising prices for profit
to go long
-
-
for or during just the length of time that
-
inasmuch as; since
-
provided that; if
-
-
not any more; formerly but not now
noun
-
a long time (esp in the phrase for long )
-
a relatively long thing, such as a signal in Morse code
-
a clothing size for tall people, esp in trousers
-
phonetics a long vowel or syllable
-
finance a person with large holdings of a security or commodity in expectation of a rise in its price; bull
-
music a note common in medieval music but now obsolete, having the time value of two breves
-
soon
-
the essential points or facts
Long
2
British
/ lɒŋ /
noun
long
3
British
/ lɒŋ /
verb
long
4
British
/ lɒŋ /
verb
long
5
British
abbreviation
long-
6
British
adverb
long
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
See yearn.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of long1
First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective longe, Old English lang, long; cognate with Dutch, German lang, Old Norse langr, Gothic langs, Latin longus; noun, adverb, derivative of the adjective
Origin of long2
First recorded before 900; Middle English longen, Old English langian “grow longer, yearn after, summon”; see long 1
Origin of long3
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English longen “to be suitable, fitting, or proper,” derivative of long “attributable (to), dependent (on),” Old English gelang “belonging (to), dependent (on)”; see origin at belong, along
Explanation
To strongly crave or desire something is to long for it. No matter how healthful your diet is, you'll still occasionally long for chocolate, cookies, and cake. The adjective long describes something that stretches over a large distance. If you're trying to avoid a prolonged visit with your crazy Aunt Martha, you might decide to take the long way to her house. The adjective long also describes something that lasts for an extended amount of time. When your Aunt Martha comes to your house, a half-hour can seem like a long, long time.
Vocabulary lists containing long
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:
“For too long, our gender equity work has been siloed without a central entity responsible for coordinating and advancing this work,” Horvath said during the meeting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The company still has a long way to go to reach Musk’s goal of $1 trillion of revenue by 2030.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Predecessor Eddie Howe shared similar traits, of course, ending Newcastle's long wait for silverware by winning the EFL Cup in 2025 and qualifying for the Champions League twice.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Eight years may sound like a long time, but that deadline will arrive sooner than you think.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
If the Americans didn’t rescue them soon, they wouldn’t have long to live.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Long tables run beneath temporary walls, temporary roof.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
In the U.S., through assets on Long Island and in upstate New York and Massachusetts, National Grid has “done a remarkable job in being one of the most efficient companies in the sector.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Appeared in the August 11, 2026, print edition as 'So Long, Sun, See You in Two Minutes'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Min said he ultimately was disappointed at Cal State Long Beach’s selection of food trucks, as a student who prioritizes cutting his cost of living.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
“They liked Negro spirituals and Irish jigs. A strong favorite of which they never tired was ‘It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary.’
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
"Fungi have been ignored in climate and conservation for too long. Now is the time to change that trajectory."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 15, 2026
“Ambulances will in some cases drive twice as far when rural hospitals close and patients will wait twice as long. Businesses and workers will see their premiums doubled.”
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
“The question is, why don’t we just deploy more gear? The lead times are too long. Data center build times are long, the power that’s available through 2026 is already all spoken for.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
Dave Robertson MP and Wendy Chamberlain MP, who co-chair the APPG, said that "Fayed survivors have been ignored and failed for far too long. Their concerns must be heard and acted upon."
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
“We wait for Mom, then. They won’t keep her long. She’ll get us as soon as she’s free.”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Only when people have access to food, housing and affordable medical care can they focus on their long- term health.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026
A competing measure ensures Nantucket stays open to both long- and short-term renters, who some property owners and small businesses say are vital for the local economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2025
The immediate plans for Ms Raywood and her two daughters are to speak with their insurance company and return to the caravan, but she said it could not be a "long- term" solution.
From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2025
But that’s exactly what they need to do, for both long- and short-term reasons.
From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2024
It was a gay light comedy, and Kay Francis wore long- sleeved white silk shirts with big cuff links.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
What is clear is that Infantino is no longer coasting towards a fourth term, if he clings on that long.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Timothée Chalamet was obviously wrong about ballet no longer being a cultural force when he made his ill-fated comments earlier this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
"Buyers are no longer looking only at the property itself, but at how liveable it is," said Yann Jehanno, president of the Laforet estate agency network.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
A loan can be in PIK for a while before a lender moves it to nonaccrual status, indicating that it no longer expects to get paid back in full.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Feeling both close and sorry for him, I realize he’s no longer my distant father.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Yes, 1-1 isn't the most memorable scoreline, but the third-round tie between Preston North End and Fulham in 2024 makes it into the record books after producing the longest penalty shootout in the competition's history.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
The album’s longest track, “The Blessing,” which Lloyd first composed for his 1993 release “The Call,” begins here in prayerful fashion and slowly gathers intensity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
For every four you complete, you’ll unlock a new pair of letters to use with your existing set—and you have just one shot to find the longest word you can make with them.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
Some chasers are already planning for a total eclipse next year that will be the longest humans will be able to see until 2114.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
On the longest journey of his life, Leonardo crosses the Alps.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
