prolonged
Americanadjective
-
lasting a long time; lengthy.
Regular or prolonged absence from school without a valid reason may result in the absentee being barred from examinations.
-
lengthened or extended in time or space.
Technological innovations in the ICU have led to artificially prolonged life, with associated costs.
Abnormally shortened or prolonged telomeres are a hallmark of cancer.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prolonged
Explanation
Something prolonged is long and drawn-out — it's taking longer than it should. A prolonged wait is usually annoying. If a fan throws a drink on the court during a basketball game and it takes an hour to clean it up, and then another hour to re-wax the floor, and then another hour for the players to warm up again...that's a prolonged delay. Anything prolonged has been stretched out further than it should be. America's war with Vietnam was prolonged much longer than anyone expected. If something is tedious, time-consuming, and feels like it's taking forever, it's prolonged.
Vocabulary lists containing prolonged
The Call of the Wild
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Boy: Tales of Childhood
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Britain's Finest Hour Speech - Winston Churchill (1940)
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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.
Despite the strong trade performance, China continues to grapple with sluggish domestic demand, as a prolonged property downturn and subdued consumer spending weigh on the broader economic recovery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
But that "no longer exists," he said, adding that he misses sitting outside with his friends at night -- an activity now considered dangerous due to prolonged power cuts and heightened insecurity.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
He fell into an 0-and-2 count but prolonged the at-bat and drove a fastball into right-center for a sacrifice fly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Although their presence is well documented, scientists are still working to understand what prolonged exposure could mean for human health.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
From behind the big top, the silhouette of a balloon rises into the sky, followed by a child’s prolonged wail.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
