protracted
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of protracted
First recorded in 1590–1600; protract ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Something protracted has been drawn out, usually in a tedious way. Protracted things are long and seem like they're never going to end. Anything protracted is lasting longer than you would like. A speech that seems to go on forever is protracted. If an employer and a union can't reach an agreement, there could be a protracted strike. Before a movie, the previews are almost always protracted — they never seem to stop. If something is long and annoying, and there's no good reason it couldn't be shorter, it's protracted.
Vocabulary lists containing protracted
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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This Week in Words: August 10–16, 2019
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And Then There Were None
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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.
The highly anticipated summit comes at an uncertain time for China's economy, which has struggled in recent years with sluggish domestic spending and a protracted debt crisis in the once-booming property sector.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
Imperial Brands will exit the U.S. vaping market, citing a protracted regulatory approval process for new innovations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
"Physiological recovery from oxygen debt is more protracted, complex, and occurs over much longer timescales than previously understood, with the elevated heart rate on land likely helping to support a delayed recovery," concluded Walker.
From Science Daily • May 9, 2026
The already acrimonious relationship continued to sour amid a protracted and bitter legal battle, and as Dan started dating Kolkena, before eventually proposing to her.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
She seemed to have wakened from a protracted stupor and discovered the joy of being alive.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
