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

Lario noted that floods, prolonged droughts and extreme heat are increasingly disrupting agriculture around the world and have become a common reality for many communities. — ABC News, 21 July 2026

Cohen, known for transforming Chewy and GameStop, is now eBay's largest shareholder and is engaging institutional investors, signaling a prolonged battle. — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

South Florida has seen a prolonged streak of extreme temperatures recently, with heat advisories regularly issued for parts of the region, especially urban areas. — C. A. Bridges, USA Today, 20 July 2026

Goncalves said that intense military training, sleep deprivation and prolonged physical exertion can temporarily suppress testosterone production. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 20 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prolonged

• belonged
• longed
• pronged
• thronged
• wronged