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

This is due to the perfect storm of sustained increase in consumer demand for beef coupled with a prolonged decrease in the supply of live cattle. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

The vehicles must also be extremely lightweight while remaining structurally resilient in prolonged hypersonic flight. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Nov. 2025

Staffing shortages during the prolonged government shutdown earlier this month resulted in mass flight disruptions. —Chandelis Duster, NPR, 22 Nov. 2025

When prolonged, these emotions result in hypervigilance, creating a chronic state of fear, tension and dis-ease. —Dr. Jacqueline A. Hart, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prolonged

• belonged
• longed
• pronged
• thronged
• wronged