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.
This followed a protracted 41-month decline that began in late 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
After protracted talks the bird was taken to a wildlife centre in Beirut, Lebanon, where he recuperated for more than half a year before his repatriation on a Serbian military plane.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Cubans take pride in facing hardship with resilience and ingenuity, but that fortitude comes at a high psychological cost amid the island's latest protracted crisis.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
The protracted heat and humidity, with warm nights offering little relief, has had weather and public health authorities warning of an elevated risk of heat illness on and off for weeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 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.
