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

All of the above meant working with prosthetics, like smaller teeth, a fake nose and elongated earlobes, which would emphasize Gladys’s predatory, avian quality. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025

The mid-rise fit also hits slightly below the belly button for a more elongated look. —Rylee Johnston, People.com, 17 Aug. 2025

But the researchers found that by piecing together the four observations, a single, plausible world could emerge: a cool, Saturn-mass planet looping around the star every 1.5 to 2.5 Earth years on an elongated, elliptical orbit. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025

The less massive black hole moves on an elongated, elliptical orbit. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2025

At first slow and elongated, then at grotesque, breakneck turns, Tøndel presents an intense psycho-drama, with slashes of surrealism and a striking, geometric visual language. —Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025

The 1963 set, named for the year the house was founded, comprised a necklace, earrings and bracelet made up of a swirl of elongated hoops, traced in baguette, pavé and oval diamonds accented with round emeralds. —Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025

The galaxy’s light gets distorted by the gravity of the dark matter, so the image of the galaxy becomes elongated, turning into a little arc. —Jenna Ahart, Quanta Magazine, 11 July 2025

Related Articles Amiri continues to offer suiting, with elongated and relaxed tailoring, as well as crochet and knits. —Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 15 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of elongate entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 2