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Synonyms

protracted

American  
[proh-trak-tid, pruh‐] / proʊˈtræk tɪd, prə‐ /

adjective

  1. drawn out or lengthened in time; extended in duration.

    a protracted and bloody war.
protracted British  
/ prəˈtræktɪd /

adjective

  1. extended or lengthened in time; prolonged

    a protracted legal battle
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • protractedly adverb
  • protractedness noun

Etymology

Origin of protracted

First recorded in 1590–1600; protract ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

A protracted Iran conflict and continued high oil prices could mean the sun setting soon on gold’s rally, according to a strategist at UBS.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

And if the war is protracted, the greater the risk of not just the damage to individual countries, but of contagion and global spillovers.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Two of those three years are essentially in the past because of the protracted negotiations.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

But traffic through the waterway has been effectively paralyzed since the start of the Iran war, fueling fears of a protracted rise in energy prices that could meaningfully drag on global economic growth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Another pause, more protracted, and then — “Without Harry Potter?” breathed the second voice softly.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

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.