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

That being said, this might be the one Philadelphia roster that can absorb a prolonged Embiid absence during the regular season, should the big man continue to miss chunks of games. —Tony Jones, New York Times, 12 July 2025

Floodwaters can be contaminated with debris, as well as high levels of bacteria, chemicals, waste and other pollutants, which can cause prolonged health risks, the experts said. —Bymary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 July 2025

The other question pertains to shortstop Anthony Volpe’s prolonged slumps and whether the Yankees need to adjust their expectations regarding his development? —Wayne G. McDonnell, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

Tatis has spent more than two months trying to get himself out of one of the most prolonged slumps of his career and entered Sunday’s game hitting .212 with a .674 OPS since May 2, a span of 57 games. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prolonged

• belonged
• longed
• pronged
• thronged
• wronged