prolonged

adjective

pro·​longed prə-ˈlȯŋd 

: 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

prə-ˈlȯŋ-əd-lē 

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

Brent is now trading at its highest level in almost a month, as traders price in a prolonged disruption to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Ukraine's former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for an election Tuesday despite the country's prolonged war with Russia, in what is seen as the largest challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's power since the start of the conflict. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

That despite tumult and prolonged periods of poor form – having endured a terrible start and with the end of their league campaign similarly tailing off – Villa can find a way to win. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Andrei Klepach, a former deputy economy minister, was reportedly fired after presenting a report warning that Russia could not win a prolonged war of attrition with Ukraine and predicting a major social crisis. — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prolonged

• belonged
• longed
• pronged
• thronged
• wronged