prolong

American  

[pruh-lawng, -long] / prəˈlɔŋ, -ˈlɒŋ /

verb (used with object)

1. to lengthen out in time; extend the duration of; cause to continue longer.

   to prolong one's stay abroad.

   Antonyms:

   abbreviate

2. to make longer in spatial extent.

   to prolong a line.

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prolong British  

/ prəˈlɒŋ, ˌprəʊlɒŋˈɡeɪʃən /

verb

1. (tr) to lengthen in duration or space; extend

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Related Words

See lengthen.

Other Word Forms

• prolongable adjective
• prolongableness noun
• prolongably adverb
• prolongation noun
• prolonger noun
• prolongment noun
• unprolongable adjective

Etymology

Origin of prolong

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English prolongen, from Late Latin prōlongāre “to lengthen,” equivalent to prō- “forward, forth” + long(us) “long” + -ā- theme vowel + -re infinitive ending; pro- ¹, long ¹

Example Sentences

Nearly 100 years later, the Jardinette is set to reopen after prolonged development issues.

From Los Angeles Times

And Prashant Yadav, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, has warned MRI prices could be driven up by prolonged helium shortages.

From BBC

In South Africa, officials have said that the country has sufficient supplies but warn that a prolonged conflict could affect availability and prices in the coming months.

From BBC

Market optimism was dented, with S&P 500 futures down 0.4%, as traders consider the impact of prolonged conflict.

From Barron's

I’m supposed to underline that this is road-tested technology, and it’s not going to be abused or prolong the action–teams are limited to two unsuccessful challenges per game.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• continue
• delay
• drag out
• lengthen
• perpetuate
• protract
• stall