prolong

prolong — verb

1. to cause an event, situation, or activity to continue for a longer period than i

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to cause an event, situation, or activity to continue for a longer period than it would naturally or normally

Example

The doctor warned Faisal that smoking would prolong his recovery after surgery.

collocation: prolong recovery

Putri tried to prolong the conversation, but her friend had to leave for class.

prolong + social event (conversation)

Common collocations
  • prolong life
  • prolong a meeting
  • prolong a visit
  • prolong recovery
  • prolong suffering
  • prolong the debate
Synonyms
  • extend

    more neutral and common; works for both time and space

  • lengthen

    more neutral; also used for both time and physical dimensions

  • protract

    more formal; often implies the extension is unwanted or excessive

Antonyms
  • shorten

    neutral opposite; to make something last less time

  • curtail

    to cut short abruptly, often before the expected end

Grammar Patterns

prolong + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently carries a connotation that the extension is longer than usual or desirable. Only used for duration in time, not physical length — for spatial extension, use 'extend' or 'lengthen'.

Common Mistakes

The builder prolonged the kitchen by two metres.
The builder extended the kitchen by two metres.
'prolong' applies to time, not physical space.
She prolonged her report to include a new chapter.
She expanded her report to include a new chapter.
'prolong' refers to duration, not scope or content.

Word family

  • prolonged
    adjectiveB2
  • prolongation
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Extend' is the most general and neutral of the group — it works for both time ('extend the deadline') and physical space ('extend the road'), and carries no special tone. 'Lengthen' is similarly neutral but slightly less common; it emphasises making something measurably longer ('lengthen a dress', 'lengthen the waiting period'). 'Prolong' focuses specifically on duration and often suggests the extension is longer than expected or desired, giving it a mild negative shade ('prolong suffering', 'prolong the agony'). 'Protract' is more formal and strongly implies an unwanted, drawn-out delay ('protracted negotiations'). 'Stretch' is more informal and can imply making a limited resource last ('stretch the budget') or pushing a situation beyond its natural limit ('stretch a meeting into the evening'). For everyday time extensions, 'extend' is safest; choose 'prolong' when you want to hint that the added time may be excessive.

extendlengthenprotractstretch

Common collocations

Nouns

  • life
  • meeting
  • visit
  • stay
  • recovery
  • suffering
  • war
  • debate
  • negotiations
  • conversation

Adverbs

  • artificially
  • indefinitely
  • unnecessarily
  • further

Phrases

  • prolong the agony
  • prolong the inevitable

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Prolong' entered English around the 1400s from Old French 'prolonguer', which came from Latin 'prolongare' — a combination of 'pro-' (forward) and 'longus' (long). The core idea has always been about stretching something forward in time, not space.