Lengthy: meaning, definitions and examples

Used to describe something that takes a great deal of time or is overly long, often implying that it may be tedious or unnecessarily extended.

• The meeting was quite lengthy and people started to lose interest.
• She gave a lengthy explanation that bored the audience.

Used in everyday conversation to describe something that has significant duration, distance, or size. It is a neutral and commonly used term.

• I had a long day at work.
• The book was long but very engaging.

Often used to suggest that something has been extended beyond what is usual, typically with a slightly negative connotation. It can convey a sense of unnecessary or unwanted length.

• The negotiations led to a prolonged discussion that didn't reach a conclusion.
• He experienced a prolonged illness that kept him bedridden.

Suitable for situations where something has been prolonged or stretched out in terms of time, space, or scope, often intentionally. It usually has a neutral or formal tone.

• The project deadline has been extended to accommodate additional research.
• They went on an extended vacation to Europe.

Used when describing something that is long in duration, often with an implication of it being tiresome or overly prolonged.

• The meeting was particularly lengthy and everyone felt exhausted by the end
• The document was so lengthy that it took hours to read

Generally used to describe something that has great length or duration. Neutral in tone, and can be applied to both physical and temporal contexts.

• The river is very long, stretching across multiple states
• She had a long conversation with her friend last night

Denotes something that has been lengthened in time, often implying it was unnecessarily or unexpectedly extended. Has a slight negative connotation.

• The strike led to a prolonged period of negotiation
• The illness resulted in a prolonged hospital stay, which was exhausting for the family

Often used to describe something that has been prolonged or made longer than originally anticipated or planned. Can be applied to time periods, vacations, meetings, etc.

• They decided to take an extended vacation to relax
• The deadline has been extended by two weeks to allow for more thorough work