long
5 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of LONG
1
a
:
extending a great distance from one end to the other end
:
not short
-
long hair
-
long legs
-
a long corridor
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The bridge is the longest in the world.
-
We drove a long distance.
-
the long/longer side of the building
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The pants are a little (too) long for me. [=they should be shorter in order to fit me]
b
:
extending a specified distance
:
having a specified length
-
one meter long
-
The whale was 50 feet long.
-
“How long was the race?” “The race was five miles long.”
2
a
:
lasting or continuing for a great amount of time
-
a long pause/wait
-
They've had a long and happy marriage.
-
She finds it hard to sit still for long periods of time.
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It's a long movie.
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The company has a long tradition of serving its customers well.
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I've known them for a long time. [=many years]
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I haven't seen them for/in a (very) long time. = (US) I haven't seen them for the longest time.
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The changes took a long time to come. = The changes were long in coming. [=the changes did not happen quickly]
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It happened a long time ago. [=far in the past; not at all recently]
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The test should take an hour at the longest. [=it should not be longer than an hour]
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She is used to working long hours. [=she often works for many hours at a time]
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He has a very long memory. [=he remembers things that happened far in the past]
-
someone with long experience in the UN [=someone who has been in the UN many years]
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She gave him a long look. [=she looked at him for many seconds]
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It's been a long day. [=a difficult day in which time seems to go by slowly]
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We took Friday off and went to the coast for a long weekend. [=a weekend with an extra day added to it]
3
a
:
having many pages, items, etc.
-
a long book/essay/list
-
The team has had a long streak of wins.
b
:
having a specified number of pages, items, etc.
-
The book is 300 pages long.
-
The team's winning streak is 12 games long.
4
of clothing
:
covering all or most of the arms or legs
-
a shirt with long sleeves
-
long pants
-
a long skirt
5
sports
:
going beyond the area of play
-
His second serve was long, so he lost the point.
6
linguistics, of a vowel
— used to identify certain vowel sounds in English
—
compare 1short 8
-
long and short vowels
-
the long “a” in “make”
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the long “e” in “sweet”
-
the long “i” in “ice”
-
the long “u” in “use”
7
of someone's face
:
showing sadness
-
Why the long face? [=you look sad; why are you sad?]
a long way
:
a great distance
— often used figuratively in various phrases
-
He grew up a long way from here.
-
Their house is a long way (away) from here.
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We've done a lot of work, but we have a long way to go. [=we still have a lot of work to do]
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These changes will go a long way toward/towards making the system more efficient. [=these changes will do a lot to make the system more efficient]
-
The company has really come a long way [=the company has made a lot of progress] since/from its humble beginnings.
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These problems go back a long way. [=these problems have existed for a long time]
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She and her business partner go back a long way (together). [=she and her business partner have known each other for a long time]
as long as someone's arm
informal
:
very long
:
having many pages, items, etc.
-
I had a list of things to do that was as long as your/my arm.
at long last
how long is a piece of string
long in the tooth
long on
:
having or providing a good amount of (something)
-
He was long on criticism [=he said many critical things] but short on useful advice.
long time no see
informal
— used as a greeting for someone you have not seen for a long time
-
Well hello there! Long time no see!
not by a long chalk
not long for this world
take the long view
the long arm of the law
2
long
/ˈlɑːŋ/
adverb
longer;
longest
2
long
/ˈlɑːŋ/
adverb
longer;
longest
Britannica Dictionary definition of LONG
1
:
for or during a long time
:
for many years, days, hours, etc.
— sometimes used in combination
-
The extra food she brought did not last long.
-
Will he be away (very) long?
-
They'll have to wait a bit longer.
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The mall has long been a popular hangout for teenagers.
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They have long been devoted friends.
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It's been so long since we've seen each other.
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It's been much too long since we've seen each other.
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That meeting was way too long.
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She's been away so long. [=for such a long time]
-
We had to leave long before we were ready to go.
-
Long live the King/Queen! [=may the King/Queen live for many years]
-
her long-awaited new novel
-
a long-anticipated announcement
2
:
for a specified period of time
-
The children played all day long. [=throughout the day]
-
We talked all night long.
-
all summer/week long
3
:
at a time far before or after a specified moment or event
-
events that occurred long before the discovery of America
-
He remembered that day long after it had faded from her memory.
-
The book wasn't published until long after she had died.
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He went to bed at 10 o'clock. Not long after/afterward, the phone rang.
4
:
for a great distance
-
The quarterback threw the ball long.
as long as
or so long as
1
:
since
-
As long as I'm here, we may as well begin.
-
As long as you're up, would you mind getting me a drink?
-
So long as you feel that way I'll leave.
2
:
if
-
I'll go with you as long as you'll drive.
-
They can do anything they want, so long as they follow the rules.
-
As long as she's allowed to go first, she's happy.
3
:
during the time that
:
while
-
The economy will remain strong as long as there are jobs to go around.
be long
— used to ask how much time will be required or to say that something will take only a short amount of time or will happen soon
-
“Will you be long?” “No, I'll be ready soon.”
-
I'm going out now, but I won't be long. [=I will return soon]
-
“Have you finished yet?” “No, but I won't be long.” [=I will finish soon]
-
“Will you be much longer?” “No, I'm almost ready.”
-
We've been waiting since morning, but it won't be long now. [=what we have been waiting for will happen/come soon]
-
It can't be much longer before they give up. [=they will probably give up soon]
long ago
:
at a time in the distant past
-
events that happened long ago
-
The announcement was made not long ago. [=the announcement was made recently]
-
It wasn't so/very long ago that this place was empty field.
long gone
:
having ended, died, disappeared, etc., at a distant time in the past
-
Those buildings are long gone now.
long since
:
at a time in the distant past
:
long ago
-
questions that have long since been answered [=questions that were answered long ago]
-
an animal that has long since disappeared from this region
-
I long since gave up trying to change her mind.
no longer
or not any longer
— used to say that something that was once true or possible is not now true or possible
-
They could wait no longer. = They couldn't wait any longer. [=it was not possible for them to continue waiting]
-
I can no longer afford the car. [=I could afford the car at some time in the past but I cannot afford it now]
so long
informal
:
1goodbye
— sometimes used figuratively
-
So long (for now)! Have a safe journey home!
-
She said so long to her friends and family and headed off to college.
-
the time of year when we say so long to winter coats [=when we stop wearing winter coats]
take long
:
to require a large amount of time
-
It won't take long to make dinner.
-
This is taking longer than I thought (it would).
3
long
/ˈlɑːŋ/
noun
3
long
/ˈlɑːŋ/
noun
Britannica Dictionary definition of LONG
before long
:
in a short amount of time
:
soon
-
They said they would be finished before long.
-
Before long the light rain had turned into a heavy downpour.
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We expect them to arrive before long. [=before much longer]
for long
:
for many years, days, hours, etc.
:
for a long time
-
I haven't known him for long.
-
Her life did not remain peaceful for long.
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He won't be away for (very) long. [=for (very) much longer]
-
He didn't work here for long.
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She's been away for so long. [=for such a long time]
the long and (the) short of it
— used when making a statement that is brief and that tells someone only the most important parts of something
-
I could give you a lot of reasons for my decision, but the long and short of it is that I just don't want to go.
4
long
/ˈlɑːŋ/
verb
longs;
longed;
longing
4
long
/ˈlɑːŋ/
verb
longs;
longed;
longing
Britannica Dictionary definition of LONG
[no object]
:
to feel a strong desire or wish for something or to do something
-
We all long for peace. = We all long to live in peace.
-
I'm longing for the time when I will see you again. = I'm longing to see you again. = How I long to see you again!
-
He began to feel that the longed-for day of her return would never come.
