lengthy

adjective

ˈleŋ(k)-thē 

ˈlen(t)-

lengthier; lengthiest

1

: protracted excessively : overlong

2

: extended, long

lengthily

ˈleŋ(k)-thə-lē 

ˈlen(t)-

adverb

lengthiness

ˈleŋ(k)-thē-nəs 

ˈlen(t)-

noun

Synonyms of lengthy

• long
• elongate

Examples of lengthy in a Sentence

The process is both lengthy and costly.

a series of lengthy delays

Lengthier trips require more planning.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a lengthy report earlier this month, Anthropic detailed how DeepSeek and Moonshot forwarded some customer requests to Claude to train and improve their own models, and in some of the processes, exposed sensitive information. — John Liu, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026

The murder case culminated a lengthy rap sheet for Pinkney, 30, who was out on parole for a gang assault conviction at the time of the incident. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026

Her death in 2022 moved the entire country, with artists and fans paying lengthy homages to the trailblazer. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026

The late Pope Francis approved the beatification, attributing to Sheen the resuscitation of an infant born in 2010 without a pulse and revived only after lengthy efforts by medical workers. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lengthy

adjective

ˈleŋ(k)-thē 

ˈlen(t)-

lengthier; lengthiest

: very long

lengthily

-thə-lē 

adverb

lengthiness

-thē-nəs 

noun