longueur

American  

[lawng-gur, long-, lawn-gœr] / lɔŋˈgɜr, lɒŋ-, lɔ̃ˈgœr /

noun

plural

longueurs

1. a long and boring passage in a literary work, drama, musical composition, or the like.

   The longueurs in this book make it almost unreadable.

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longueur British  

/ lɔ̃ɡœr /

noun

1. a period of boredom or dullness

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Etymology

Origin of longueur

1815–25; < French: literally, length

Explanation

A longueur is a section of a book or movie or play that's really tedious or boring. You might love the movie "West Side Story," except for the longueur of the dream sequence that features a ballet dance. You'll often come across this word in its plural form, longueurs, as when a book reviewer notes the longueurs of a writer's descriptions of the English countryside, or your aunt starts to snore during the longueurs of a play's third act. You can use this noun for any dull spell, but it's mostly a literary or performing arts term, from the French longueur, "length," and the Latin root longus, "long."

Example Sentences

And no longueur or flubbed cue breaks the spell of her compassionate, witty production.

From New York Times • May 6, 2022

The report’s account of their activities constitutes what we in the book-reviewing trade like to refer to as a longueur.

From Slate • Apr. 22, 2019

This should not be seen as languor, or dismissed as longueur.

From The Guardian • May 11, 2013

"The Book of Chet" evokes a completely different world — the moody, after-hours longueur associated with singer-trumpeter Chet Baker's ballads.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 27, 2012

September 5: L. B.—The siege of Charleston tire en longueur; it has cost thousand of lives and millions upon millions, and will still cost more.

From Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863 by De Gurowski, Adam G., count