long
long — adjective
1. lasting or continuing for more time than is usual or expected
lasting or continuing for more time than is usual or expected
The film was so long that Hugo fell asleep before the end.
long as adjective describing duration
Sora had to wait a long time for the bus to arrive in the rain.
a long time: common noun phrase for duration
After a long meeting, the team finally agreed on a plan.
The winter nights are long and dark in northern Europe.
long describing seasonal duration
- long time
- long wait
- long period
- long delay
- long meeting
- long day
- long journey
- short
opposite in duration
Common Mistakes
2. measuring a great amount from one end to the other; covering a large distance
measuring a great amount from one end to the other; covering a large distance
Adaeze has long hair that reaches all the way to her waist.
long describing physical length of body part
The new bridge across the river is nearly two kilometres long.
Mira walked a long way to reach the village before dark.
a long way: common collocation for distance
The queue for the tickets stretched along a long corridor.
- long way
- long distance
- long hair
- long legs
- long queue
- long corridor
- long river
- short
opposite in distance or length
Common Mistakes
3. containing many pages, words, or separate items
containing many pages, words, or separate items
The report was too long for Jason to finish before the deadline.
Sahil wrote a long letter to his grandmother about his new life in Japan.
long letter: writing with many words
The long list of names filled two whole pages of the notebook.
long list: many items in a series
Christopher wrote a long essay on climate change for his geography class.
- long book
- long letter
- long article
- long list
- long report
- long essay
- long poem
as long as your arm
idiomExtremely long.
The shopping list my wife gave me is as long as your arm.
Is the waiting list really as long as your arm?
at the longest
idiomNot longer than the specified time.
The repair should take two hours at the longest.
Will the meeting last an hour at the longest?
at long last
idiomAfter a long period of waiting or effort.
At long last, the rain stopped and the sun came out.
Has the package arrived at long last?
by a long way
idiomBy a large amount or degree.
She is the best singer in the class by a long way.
Did he win the race by a long way?
go back a long way
idiomTo have known each other for many years.
Tom and I go back a long way to elementary school.
Do you and Sarah go back a long way?
go a long way
idiomTo last for a long time or cover a large area.
A little bit of this paint goes a long way on the wall.
Does your salary go a long way in this city?
To help significantly or somewhat in achieving something.
Your donation will go a long way towards helping the shelter.
Does this grant go some way towards covering the costs?
have come a long way
idiomTo have made a lot of progress.
Medicine has come a long way since the 19th century.
Has your English come a long way this year?
To need to make a lot of progress before achieving a goal.
The team has a long way to go before winning the championship.
Do you think she has a long way to go in her training?
Used to say that there is no definite answer to a question.
When asked how long the project would take, he replied, 'How long is a piece of string?'
How long is a piece of string? It depends on many factors.
in the long run
idiomOver a long period of time in the future.
Investing in education pays off in the long run.
Will this decision benefit us in the long run?
Over a specified period of time in the future.
In the short term, we may face some difficulties.
Is this plan sustainable in the long term?
It makes no real difference which of two choices you make.
Whether we go by train or bus, it's as broad as it's long.
Is it as broad as it's long whether we start now or later?
It’s a long story.
idiomUsed to say that the reasons for something are complicated and you prefer not to give details.
How did we end up here? It's a long story.
Why is he so upset? It's a long story, believe me.
To reject or delay dealing with something, often to avoid it.
The committee kicked the proposal into the long grass.
Did they kick the issue into touch again?
The basic facts or the main point of a situation.
The long and short of it is that we need more money.
What's the long and short of his argument?
The power or influence of something that reaches far.
No criminal can escape the long arm of the law.
Has the long arm of the company reached our small town?
To have an unhappy or disappointed expression.
After losing the game, he pulled a long face.
Why are you wearing such a long face today?
long in the tooth
idiomOld or too old.
That horse is a bit long in the tooth for racing.
Is he too long in the tooth for this job?
a long shot
idiomAn attempt or guess that is unlikely to succeed but worth trying.
It's a long shot, but we might find a parking spot.
Is winning the lottery a long shot?
Used to introduce a summary of what happened, omitting details.
To cut a long story short, we missed the flight.
Long story short, he got the job after all.
long time no see
idiomUsed as a greeting to someone you haven't seen for a long time.
Long time no see! How have you been?
Long time no see, Maria. You look great!
not by a long chalk
idiomNot at all; not nearly.
The work is not finished, not by a long chalk.
Is he the best player? Not by a long chalk.
To examine or consider something very carefully.
We need to take a long hard look at our budget.
Have you taken a long cool look at the proposal?
To consider the future effects rather than just the present.
Investors should take the long view of the market.
Does the government take the long view on climate change?
long — adverb
1. over a stretch of time that is more than usual, common when people ask about dur
over a stretch of time that is more than usual, common when people ask about duration or say something is not the case
Have you been waiting long for the doctor to see you?
question: been waiting long
Dewi has not lived here long; she moved here last summer.
negative: not ... long
How long does it take to drive from London to Manchester?
how long: question asking about duration
The meeting did not last long because everyone agreed quickly.
negative: did not last long
- not long
- how long
- too long
- long enough
- live long
- last long
- take long
- for a long time
preferred in positive statements; more natural in everyday speech
- for ages
informal, emphatic version ('I have not seen you for ages')
Usage Note
In questions and negative statements, 'long' alone is natural ('Have you been waiting long?'). In positive statements, native speakers prefer 'for a long time' ('I waited for a long time') except in literary or formal contexts.
Common Mistakes
2. far in time from a particular moment, either before it or after it
far in time from a particular moment, either before it or after it
The concert ended long after midnight, so Benjamin took a taxi home.
long after + time reference
The old temple was built long before the city grew around it.
long before + event
All that happened long ago, when my grandmother was still a child.
The castle was built long before the invention of gunpowder.
long before + noun phrase
- long before
- long after
- long ago
- long since
- far
used similarly in 'far before/after' but less common than 'long before/after'
- shortly
opposite meaning: a short time before or after ('shortly after midnight')
Usage Note
This sense requires a following word such as 'before', 'after', or 'ago' to complete the time reference. Common patterns: long before/after + noun or clause; long ago.
Common Mistakes
3. placed with a hyphen before a past participle or -ing form to say that a situati
placed with a hyphen before a past participle or -ing form to say that a situation has lasted for many years or a very great while
The long-awaited film finally opened at cinemas across the city.
long + past participle compound: long-awaited
Adina works for a long-established company in the city centre.
long-established: compound adjective
Their friendship was long-lasting and survived many difficulties.
The long-running dispute between the two families finally ended this year.
long-running: compound adjective
- long-awaited
- long-established
- long-standing
- long-lasting
- long-running
- long-forgotten
- long-suffering
Usage Note
Long combines with a hyphen and a past participle (long-awaited, long-established, long-forgotten) or -ing form (long-lasting, long-running, long-standing) to create compound adjectives. These are common in formal and written English.
Common Mistakes
4. only if; on the condition that something else happens first
only if; on the condition that something else happens first
You can borrow my bicycle as long as you return it by the evening.
As long as Élise finishes her homework, she can watch television.
as long as + clause setting a condition
The picnic will go ahead as long as the weather stays dry.
As long as Zayd practises every day, he will improve his piano skills.
as long as + clause for conditional promise
- as long as
- provided that
more formal than 'as long as'; common in official or legal contexts
- if
simpler equivalent, but 'as long as' emphasises the condition more strongly
Usage Note
Functions as a conjunction linking two clauses. The clause with 'as long as' states the condition that must be met for the other clause to be true. It is often used to give permission or make promises.
Common Mistakes
long — verb
1. to desire something very strongly, especially something that is difficult or imp
to desire something very strongly, especially something that is difficult or impossible to obtain
After years abroad, Sahil longed for the taste of his mother's cooking.
long for + object of desire
The children longed to see the snow for the very first time.
long to + infinitive
Beatriz longed for the peaceful days of her childhood in the countryside.
Christopher longed for the courage to speak in front of the crowd.
long for + abstract noun as object
- long for
- long to
- longed for days
- longed for home
Grammar Patterns
long for something
long to do something
Usage Note
Formal and literary register. In everyday conversation, 'want', 'would love', or 'wish' are more natural. Used in two patterns: 'long for + noun phrase' and 'long to + infinitive'. The related noun form is 'longing'.
Common Mistakes
long — noun
1. longitude shown in short form when writing down map positions or directions
longitude shown in short form when writing down map positions or directions
The ship's position was marked as 30°N, 122°E (long) on the chart.
written abbreviation used in coordinates
The map showed the coordinates for latitude and long at the bottom corner.
The GPS device displayed lat 51.5° and long -0.1° for the city centre.
lat and long: common paired abbreviation
Every point on Earth has a unique pair of latitude and long coordinates.
- long.
- lat. and long.
- latitude and long.
Usage Note
Used only in writing, particularly in geographical coordinates, tables, and map references. In speech, the full word 'longitude' is always pronounced. The plural 'longs' is also found in written data.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four describe something that takes more time than usual, but they differ in register and nuance. Long is the everyday, neutral word: 'We had a long meeting.' Lengthy is more formal and suggests something feels too long, especially for documents or speeches: 'The CEO gave a lengthy address.' Prolonged emphasises that something continues beyond what is normal or desirable, often with a sense of frustration: 'The prolonged drought ruined the harvest.' Extended focuses on the idea of something being stretched in time, and is common in business or technical contexts: 'We need an extended deadline.' In conversation, long is the safest choice; the other three add a layer of judgement or formality.
Common collocations
Etymology
Long comes from Old English 'lang' (adjective) and 'longe' (adverb), from Proto-Germanic 'langaz'. It is related to Dutch 'lang' and German 'lang'. The verb sense 'to desire' comes from Old English 'langian', meaning 'to grow longer, to yearn', based on the idea that desire makes time feel long. The noun abbreviation 'long.' for longitude developed from the Latin 'longitudo' (length), making it a separate historical pathway that happens to share the same spelling.