long

[ lawng, long ]

/ lɔŋ, lɒŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR long ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, long·er [lawng-ger, long-] /ˈlɔŋ gər, ˈlɒŋ-/, long·est [lawng-gist, long-] /ˈlɔŋ gɪst, ˈlɒŋ-/.

having considerable linear extent in space: a long distance; a long handle.

having considerable duration in time: a long conversation; a long while.

extending, lasting, or totaling a number of specified units: eight miles long; eight hours long.

containing many items or units: a long list.

requiring a considerable time to relate, read, etc.: a long story.

extending beyond normal or moderate limits: a long, boring speech.

experienced as passing slowly, because of the difficulty, tedium, or unpleasantness involved: long years of study.

reaching well into the past: a long memory.

the longer of two or the longest of several: the long way home; a brick with the long side exposed.

taking a long time; slow: He's certainly long getting here.

forward-looking or considering all aspects; broad: to take a long view of life.

intense, thorough, or critical; seriously appraising: a long look at one's past mistakes.

having an ample supply or endowment of something (often followed by on): to be long on advice; to be long on brains.

having a considerable time to run, as a promissory note.

Chiefly Law. distant or remote in time: a long date.

extending relatively far: a man with a long reach.

being higher or taller than usual: long casement windows.

being against great odds; unlikely: a long chance.

(of beverages) mixed or diluted with a large amount of soda, seltzer, etc.: highballs, collinses, and other long drinks.

(of the head or skull) of more than ordinary length from front to back.

Phonetics.

lasting a relatively long time: “Feed” has a longer sound than “feet” or “fit.”
belonging to a class of sounds considered as usually longer in duration than another class, as the vowel of bought as compared to that of but, and in many languages serving as a distinctive feature of phonemes, as the ah in German Bahn in contrast with the a in Bann, or the tt in Italian fatto in contrast with the t in fato (opposed to short).
having the sound of the English vowels in mate, meet, mite, mote, moot, and mute, historically descended from vowels that were long in duration.

Prosody. (of a syllable in quantitative verse) lasting a longer time than a short syllable.

Finance. holding or accumulating stocks, futures, commodities, etc., with the expectation of a rise in prices: a long position in chemicals.

Gambling.

marked by a large difference in the numbers of the given betting ratio or in the amounts wagered: long odds.
of or relating to the larger amount bet.

Ceramics. (of clay) very plastic; fat.

noun

a comparatively long time: They haven't been gone for long. Will it take long?

something that is long: The signal was two longs and a short.

a size of garment for men who are taller than average.

a garment, as a suit or overcoat, in this size: The shorts and the longs are hung separately.

Finance. a person who accumulates or holds stocks or commodities with the expectation of a rise in prices.

Music. longa.

adverb

for or through a great extent of space or, especially, time: a reform long advocated.

for or throughout a specified extent, especially of time: How long did he stay?

(used elliptically in referring to the length of an absence, delay, etc.): Will she be long?

throughout a specified period of time (usually used to emphasize a preceding noun): It's been muggy all summer long.

at a point of time far distant from the time indicated: long before.

Idioms for long

as long as,

provided that: As long as you can come by six, I'll be here.
seeing that; since: As long as you're going to the grocery anyway, buy me a pint of ice cream.
Also so long as. during the time that; through the period that: As long as we were neighbors, they never invited us inside their house.

before long, soon: We should have news of her whereabouts before long.

the long and the short of, the point or gist of; substance of: The long and the short of it is that they will be forced to sell all their holdings. Also the long and short of.

Origin of long

before 900; (adj.) Middle English longe, Old English lang, long; cognate with Dutch, German lang, Old Norse langr, Gothic langs, Latin longus; (noun) late Middle English, derivative of the adj.; (adv.) Middle English long(e), lange, Old English longe, lange, cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German lango

SYNONYMS FOR long

1 lengthy, extensive.

2 protracted, prolonged, extended.

6 overlong, wordy, prolix; tedious, boring.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR long ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM long

long·ly, adverb long·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH long

long longe lounge lunge

Words nearby long

lonely, lonely hearts, lonely-hearts, loner, lonesome, long, long abductor muscle of thumb, long account, long ago, long and short of it, the, long arm

Definition for long (2 of 5)

long ²

[ lawng, long ]

/ lɔŋ, lɒŋ /

verb (used without object)

to have an earnest or strong desire or craving; yearn: to long for spring; to long to return home.

Origin of long

before 900; Middle English longen, Old English langian grow longer, yearn after, summon; see long¹

SYNONYMS FOR long

See yearn.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR long ON THESAURUS.COM

Definition for long (3 of 5)

long ³

[ lawng, long ]

/ lɔŋ, lɒŋ /

verb (used without object)

Archaic. to be suitable or fitting.

Obsolete. to be the possession; belong.

Origin of long

1150–1200; Middle English longen to be suitable or proper, belong, derivative of long on account (of), attributable (to), dependent (on), Old English gelang belonging (to), dependent (on); see along

Definition for long (4 of 5)

Long

[ lawng, long ]

/ lɔŋ, lɒŋ /

noun

Crawford Wil·liam·son

[wil-yuh m-suh n] /ˈwɪl yəm sən/,1815–78, U.S. surgeon.

Hu·ey Pierce

[hyoo-ee] /ˈhyu i/,1893–1935, U.S. politician: governor of Louisiana 1928–31; U.S. senator 1931–35.

Russell B(il·liu) [bil-yoo] /ˈbɪl yu/,1918–2003, U.S. lawyer and politician: U.S. senator 1948–87 (son of Huey Long).

Stephen Harriman,1784–1864, U.S. army officer and explorer.

Definition for long (5 of 5)

long.

longitude.

Example sentences from the Web for long

And they might not have to wait that long to show their political heft.

Asian-Americans Are The New Florida |Tim Mak |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Doctors have long wrestled with the age of consent when it comes to mature adolescents.

Should Teens Have The Right To Die? |Brandy Zadrozny |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Current and former intelligence officials have said North Korea has long been a priority target for American spies.

Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack? |Shane Harris |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
The plan is to stretch it out as long as possible, then probably forget about it, and then suddenly remember it.

‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS |Marlow Stern |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST

Great American leaders have long contributed profound thoughts of tremendous consequence to the public discourse.

Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner! |Olivia Nuzzi |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
He had a selection on a long box-scrub siding of the ridges, about half a mile back and up from the coach road.

On the Track |Henry Lawson
Lizzie, indeed, is fond of work; she is busy all day long, and it is evident that her sewing-machine is not allowed to rust.

London's Heart |B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon
The proud Miss Althea Beekman, the dignified descendant of a long line of ancestors, turned red.

By Advice of Counsel |Arthur Train
For a long time cats were dreaded by the people because they thought human beings had been changed to that form by evil means.

The Book of Hallowe'en |Ruth Edna Kelley
I don't know how long I waited—perhaps another hour—when I thought I would try again.

The Sign of Silence |William Le Queux

British Dictionary definitions for long (1 of 5)

long ¹

/ (lɒŋ) /

adjective

having relatively great extent in space on a horizontal plane

having relatively great duration in time

(postpositive) of a specified number of units in extent or durationthree hours long
(in combination)a two-foot-long line

having or consisting of a relatively large number of items or parts a long list

having greater than the average or expected range a long memory

being the longer or longest of alternatives the long way to the bank

having more than the average or usual quantity, extent, or duration a long match

seeming to occupy a greater time than is really so she spent a long afternoon waiting in the departure lounge

intense or thorough (esp in the phrase a long look)

(of drinks) containing a large quantity of nonalcoholic beverage

(of a garment) reaching to the wearer's ankles

informal (foll by on) plentifully supplied or endowed (with) long on good ideas

phonetics (of a speech sound, esp a vowel)

of relatively considerable duration
classified as long, as distinguished from the quality of other vowels
(in popular usage) denoting the qualities of the five English vowels in such words as mate, mete, mite, moat, moot, and mute

from end to end; lengthwise

unlikely to win, happen, succeed, etc a long chance

prosody

denoting a vowel of relatively great duration or (esp in classical verse) followed by more than one consonant
denoting a syllable containing such a vowel
(in verse that is not quantitative) carrying the emphasis or ictus

finance having or characterized by large holdings of securities or commodities in anticipation of rising prices a long position

cricket (of a fielding position) near the boundary long leg

informal (of people) tall and slender

in the long run See run (def. 82)

long in the tooth informal old or ageing