long-lasting
Americanadjective
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enduring or existing for a long period of time.
a long-lasting friendship.
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effective for a relatively long period of time.
a long-lasting pain reliever.
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resisting the effects of wear or use over a long period.
a long-lasting fabric used for work clothes.
Etymology
Origin of long-lasting
First recorded in 1520–30
Explanation
Long-lasting things stick around for a while. If the medicine you're taking for your sore throat has long-lasting side effects, they'll affect you for many weeks or even months. A long-lasting relationship lasts for years, and long-lasting makeup stays on your face all day, until you wash it off at night. This adjective can mean that something is durable or resilient, or in other words that it holds up over time. Other things are simply long-lasting by coincidence — they've just been there for a long time.
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.
Was it a long-lasting stomach virus or something more?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
A refrigerator, for example, is among those durable, or long-lasting, products.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
“This project would have devastating and long-lasting consequences for the surrounding region and nearby communities,” Chu wrote, calling out concerns about pollution, traffic, noise and harm to wildlife.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
The finding fits with other archaeological evidence indicating that Cloggs Cave was a place of long-lasting ritual activity rather than an ordinary living site.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
Bronden said that later the stems could be bound together to make long-lasting torches to replace the ones that had been lost when Ellis fled.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
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.
