prolonged

1 of 2

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

prolonged

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of prolong

Examples of prolonged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The nor'easter brought strong wind gusts and heavy rain to Massachusetts for a prolonged period, though the worst weather was in the southeastern part of the state. — Neal Riley, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Individual resilience alone can’t sustain a workforce through prolonged and compounding change. — Christine Muldoon, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

The 18-year -old is one of thousands of people who have been in prolonged detention after being detained by federal immigration authorities, ABC News has reported. — Rebecca Gelpi-Ufret, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Flight attendants, pilots, and nurses all highly recommend compression socks because of their ability to improve circulation, reduce soreness, and curb the very serious risk of developing blood clots as a result of prolonged immobility. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prolonged

• belonged
• longed
• pronged
• thronged
• wronged