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

Now that a Mars mission is on the horizon, his most recent research continues to test how well exercise maintains the heart’s structure and function during prolonged spaceflight. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 15 Sep. 2026

Many bond strategists believe that higher yields will remain for a prolonged period. — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

But the top management set early resumption as a key business target and harshly reprimanded a team working on a resumption permit because of the prolonged screening, which might have pressured them into wrongdoing, the report said. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

This year, weather has added another layer of volatility, with typhoons and a prolonged heatwave already affecting monthly retail patterns. — Li Jun, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1525, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prolonged

• belonged
• longed
• pronged
• thronged
• wronged