lengthy

1 of 2

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

lengthiness

2 of 2

noun

length·​i·​ness -thēnə̇s 

-thin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being lengthy : prolixity

Synonyms of lengthy

Adjective

• long
• elongate

Examples of lengthy in a Sentence

Adjective

The process is both lengthy and costly.

a series of lengthy delays

Lengthier trips require more planning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Laurie offered his apologies in a lengthy tweet. —Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026

Built for demanding work Anthropic argues that Fable 5 delivers its biggest advantages when tackling lengthy and complex assignments. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026

Snowflake’s Ramaswamy argued that AI is helping clients like Hyatt reduce the need for lengthy data integration projects because models can increasingly connect information across different systems. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 9 June 2026

Rates on accounts with this term are still high, but the term won't be so lengthy as to prevent savers from pivoting their strategy later in the year. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 8 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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