Meaning & use

prolonged

adjective·Academic

Continuing for a longer time than usual or expected.

See it in a sentence

The region suffered a prolonged drought that lasted nearly three years.

After a prolonged silence, she finally answered the difficult question.

A note on using this word

Prolonged often implies the duration is uncomfortable or excessive, unlike the neutral word 'long.'

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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