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:
If a team press immediately, Liverpool have been willing to skip short build-up play and go long from keepers Alisson or Giorgi Mamardashvili early.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
A "sprint" is term for a common period in technology companies in which people work long hours in the weeks leading up to a release of a new feature or product.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The prospect of AI helping people develop deadly pathogens or other biological hazards has long been a concern among AI safety experts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Fashion has a long history of turning provocation, rebellion and even criticism of the industry itself into something desirable — and expensive.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
All the fatigue from her long voyage disappears.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
When Joshua Min started at Cal State Long Beach in 2025, a $315-million renovation project had just shut down its University Student Union through 2028.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Long winters, heavy snowfall and decades of conflict have further slowed cricket's development.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The Panama Canal is imposing draft limits on vessels ahead of potential El Niño-related droughts, which could divert shipments to L.A. and Long Beach, Seroka said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Long space missions can force small crews to endure isolation, cramped living conditions, and intense psychological pressure for months at a time.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
When their train from Long Island had arrived at a stop in Queens, the men went shopping.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
“There’s so much music over all these movies because I’ve been doing them for so long. We could do a whole other round of this, but let’s see how it goes on this first one.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
"The ground there is cracked, and the cracks are long. That is why this area would be very dangerous if another earthquake as strong follows," he said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
"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
"This is just the beginning. The road is still long. We are working super hard and the team is doing an incredible job," Antonelli said.
From BBC ● May 3, 2026
“I don’t want to ditch Avery for too long. Just a few minutes, though?”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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
Lacking a significant air force, Iran heavily relies on its long- and short-range missiles, and drone firing capabilities to strike its adversaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
The long- delayed MV Glen Rosa is expected to be ready by the end of June next year, and is earmarked to join its sister ship MV Glen Sannox on the Arran route.
From BBC ● Jul. 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
Tattoo artist Martha Smith thinks stigma has "changed massively", with tattoos no longer seen as associated with criminality or class discrimination.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Tattoos are permanent, and critics suggest that as these generations age they may no longer like the inkings they chose decades previously.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
By 1880 Robert was no longer active in the business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
"We would need to study the same groups of people over a longer period of time to understand any cause-and-effect relationship, but we think this provides an important starting point," she said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
I’m no longer the boy in the cotton field.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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
Their postseason drought is about to hit 12 years, the longest in baseball.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 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.
