Meaning & use
lengthy
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Lasting for a long time, often longer than people would like or expect.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a lengthy delay, or the speech was lengthy.
Patterns
- a lengthy delay
- a lengthy process
After a lengthy delay, the train finally left the station.
The committee held a lengthy discussion about the budget.
Getting a visa can be a lengthy process.
adjectivecomparable
Taking up many pages or words, so that it is long to read or listen to.
Grammar: Describes texts and talk: a lengthy report, not a lengthy road.
Patterns
- a lengthy report
- a lengthy speech
She wrote a lengthy email explaining every step of the problem.
The lengthy contract took two hours to read.
His lengthy answer left no time for other questions.
Word forms
| comparative | lengthier |
|---|---|
| superlative | lengthiest |
Common combinations
- lengthy process
- Renovating the old house turned out to be a lengthy process.
- lengthy delay
- A lengthy delay at the airport spoiled the start of our trip.
- lengthy prison sentence
- The judge gave him a lengthy prison sentence.
- lengthy explanation
- I did not need a lengthy explanation; a short answer was enough.
- lengthy negotiations
- After lengthy negotiations, the two sides signed an agreement.
Synonyms and how they differ
- long
- Long is the plain everyday word and is neutral, while lengthy often hints that something took more time or space than necessary.
- prolonged
- Prolonged stresses that something was extended beyond the normal time, often an ordeal, as in prolonged illness.
- protracted
- Protracted is more formal and suggests something has been drawn out tediously, such as protracted talks.
- extended
- Extended is neutral and often means lengthened on purpose, whereas lengthy is a judgment about how long something felt.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: lengthy or long?
lengthy vs long
Long describes size or time neutrally, so a long road is fine. Lengthy is used for time, talk, and writing, and usually not for physical things like roads or hair.
Practice
Which phrase would a speaker most naturally use with lengthy?
Choose one answer.
Lengthy normally describes time, talk, or writing, so a meeting fits. Physical objects such as a hallway or rope are usually just long.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lengthy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.