elongated

1 of 2

adjective

elon·​gat·​ed i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgā-təd 

(ˌ)ē-,

ˈē-ˌlȯŋ-

variants or less commonly elongate

i-ˈlȯŋ-ˌgāt 

(ˌ)ē-,

ˈē-ˌlȯŋ-

1

: stretched out : made or grown long or longer

an elongated sound

an elongated version of the text

… it's an elongated process, filled with false starts, reversals, setbacks, stumbling blocks and lots of experimentation.

—Steven Mintz

2

: long and slender : having a form notably long in comparison to its width

an elongated shape

an elongated head

I then made an elongated slot in each drawer for a recessed drawer pull.

—Matthias Wandel

On the building's outside were a glowing marquee, stately trim and elongated ornate windows.

—Domenica Bongiovanni

… a young … star that follows a very elongated orbit …

—Dennis Overbye

Note: The spelling elongate is used especially in technical and scientific contexts (such as descriptions of organisms or their parts).

an elongate fish

an elongate cell

… a perennial that grows as a rosette of elongate leaves …

—Mark D. Camara

… the striations parallel the elongate shape of the stone …

—Robert M. Thorson

The Black Hills uplift is in the shape of an elongate dome comprising an area about 125 miles long and about 60 miles wide.

—U.S. Geological Survey

elongated

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of elongate entry 1

Examples of elongated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This revealed elongated filamentary structures stretching out for between 260,000 and 360,000 light-years. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 June 2025

The shoes feature an elongated, pointed toe that is pinched at the tip, a signature detail in the design house’s footwear. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019

The sword consists of a short, elongated, pointed blade with a handle with antennas, made of iron, combined with spheres made of copper alloys or copper. —Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

The track also featured a rumble strip on the left for Turn 14, and the apex of Turn 15 was a bit elongated, both of which should help drivers navigate the section. —Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 1 May 2025

The slim, elongated handle also facilitates comfort and security across all types of grip. —Wes Siler, Outside Online, 24 Apr. 2025

Despite looking and feeling like one elongated shot, the episode was actually filmed in four chunks since production could only shoot for about 90 minutes a day. —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 26 Mar. 2025

Finally, the shape of Earth's orbit can change slightly, from more elongated to less elongated (our average distance from the sun doesn't change). —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025

The oarfish is a mysterious deep-sea fish known for its elongated, ribbon-like body and shimmering silver scales. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of elongate entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 2