prolonged

adjective

pro·​longed prə-ˈlȯŋd How to pronounce prolonged (audio)
: 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 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 And those who didn’t know Noseda personally confirmed to me the rarity of such a warm welcome, let alone such a prolonged ovation. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Her appeal beyond her uber-progressive Oakland congressional district was always suspect and her age — 77 — didn’t help, particularly after the sad, prolonged decline of Feinstein turned longevity into an issue for many Democrats. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Enter the shot clock, the Arizona House of Representatives' antidote for prolonged sessions. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 This is also referred to as prolonged second stage. Parents Editors, Parents, 4 Mar. 2024 This comedy is an outrageous exploration of family dynamics, adulthood, and the absurdity of prolonged adolescence. Travis Bean, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 With temperatures that night falling below zero, coroners say prolonged exposure to cold temperatures and acute alcohol intoxication contributed to his death from hypothermia. Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 Although outages happen from time to time, nationwide, prolonged outages are exceedingly rare. Catherine Thorbecke, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 Israel imposed a prolonged blockade, denying Palestinians adequate food, potable water, fuel, Internet access, shelter, and medical care: action amounting to collective punishment. Agnès Callamard, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prolonged.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prolonged was circa 1525

Dictionary Entries Near prolonged

Cite this Entry

“Prolonged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prolonged. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!