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

But what makes this offseason a pivotal moment for them is the additional tax rate known as the repeater tax — a more severe financial penalty based on five-year windows, incentivizing owners not to spend excessively over the salary cap for prolonged periods. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 8 May 2026

In order to pull off a successful landing, the spacecraft will also need to demonstrate autonomous navigation, cryogenic fuel transfer and prolonged storage, and then prove its ability to launch back into lunar orbit. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 8 May 2026

While oil, shipping insurance and rates markets increasingly reflect fears of a prolonged disruption, broader risk assets remain relatively sanguine, with stock markets hitting record highs. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 May 2026

Since 2010, the 62-year-old lawyer has been arrested numerous times and subjected to prolonged solitary confinement. —Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prolonged

• belonged
• longed
• pronged
• thronged
• wronged