prolong
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to lengthen out in time; extend the duration of; cause to continue longer.
to prolong one's stay abroad.
- Antonyms:
- abbreviate
-
to make longer in spatial extent.
to prolong a line.
verb
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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.
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.
