prolonged

adjective

pro·​longed prə-ˈlȯŋd 

: continuing for a notably long time : extended in duration

a prolonged delay

a prolonged recession

a prolonged absence

a prolonged drought

And in today's competitive situation a prolonged strike can very easily lead to a serious loss of market share which is difficult, if not impossible, to recapture.

—David Reid

Sometimes the only answer is a prolonged time away from the sport followed by a slow, steady reconditioning program along with physiotherapy of some type …

—William J. Goldwag

prolongedly

prə-ˈlȯŋ-əd-lē 

adverb

… and Andy demonstrates … the odd talent of coughing in his sleep, coughing prolongedly without waking himself.

—John Updike

Examples of prolonged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Without a firm timetable for his departure, the prolonged succession process has coincided with a steady stream of senior executives departing for chief executive roles elsewhere. — Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 30 June 2026

An extreme risk means the entire population is at risk as this is a prolonged heat event that is very dangerous unless precautions are taken, the weather service said. — Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026

That looks to be changing soon, with millions of North Americans facing a prolonged stretch of dangerous heat that’s likely to break records. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 June 2026

Will the electrical grid remain reliable during prolonged heat? — Joseph Coughlin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prolonged

• belonged
• longed
• pronged
• thronged
• wronged