prolong

[pruh-lawng, -long]

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.

prolong

/ prəˈlɒŋ, ˌprəʊlɒŋˈɡeɪʃən /

verb

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of prolong¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of prolong¹

C15: from Late Latin prōlongāre to extend, from Latin _pro- ¹ + longus long

Synonym Study

See lengthen.

Example Sentences

He also said that the company’s product costs more than its animal protein equivalent, “a feature that is particularly detrimental in a prolonged environment of tepid consumer spending.”

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Raymond James’s Rose cautioned, however, that a prolonged government shutdown could delay some public offerings, creating a short-term headwind for capital-markets revenues.

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"This is unlikely to mark the start of a sustained rise in borrowing costs, but rather a prolonged plateau while the outlook becomes clearer."

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"I have seen new patients who have been dissociated for prolonged periods after using a psilocybin trip."

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If the shutdown is prolonged, as many as 900 defense contractors from just his union could be furloughed, he estimated.

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Related Words

• continue 
• delay 
• drag out www.thesaurus.com
• lengthen 
• perpetuate 
• protract 
• stall