long
A long dress
GREAT LENGTH measuring a great length from one end to the other OPP short
A long dress
Oxford Essential Dictionary
adjective (longer /, longest )
1 far from one end to the other:
Which is the longest river in the world?
She has long black hair.
Tokyo is a long way from London.
opposite short Look at the note at far.
2 You use long to ask or talk about how far something is from one end to the other:
How long is the table?
The wall is 5?m long.
The noun is length.
3 continuing for a lot of time:
a long film
He's lived here for a long time.
opposite short
4 You use long to ask or talk about the time from the beginning to the end of something:
How long is the lesson?
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
long
I. long1 S1 W1 /lɒŋ $ lɒːŋ/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative longer, superlative longest)
[Language: Old English; Origin: long, lang]
1. GREAT LENGTH measuring a great length from one end to the other OPP short:
a long table
long hair
the longest tunnel in the world
He stretched out his long legs.
a long line of people
2. GREAT DISTANCE continuing or travelling a great distance from one place to another OPP short:
a long distance
Springfield is a long way from Chicago.
Liz lives in Cheltenham, which is a long way away.
long journey/walk/flight/drive etc (=a journey etc over a large distance that takes a lot of time)
It’s a long walk to the shops from here.
3. LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME continuing for a large amount of time, or for a larger amount of time than usual OPP short:
a long period of time
a long history of success
He has a long memory.
(for) a long time/while
He’s been gone a long time.
I haven’t been there for a long while.
It took a long time to get everything ready.
She died a long time ago.
long silence/pause/delay etc
There was a long silence before anybody spoke.
She’s recovering from a long illness.
Doctors often work long hours (=work for more time than is usual).
the longest time American English spoken (=a very long time)
It took me the longest time to figure out how to open the windows.
4. PARTICULAR LENGTH/DISTANCE/TIME used to talk or ask about a particular length, distance, or time:
How long is your garden?
How long is the film?
The cable is not quite long enough.
two metres/three miles etc long
The bridge is 140 feet long.
two hours/three days etc long
The speech was twenty minutes long.
5. WRITING containing a lot of words, letters, names, or pages OPP short:
a long novel
a long list
He has a very long name.
He owes money to a list of people as long as your arm (=a very long list).
6. CLOTHING covering all of your arms or legs OPP short:
a long dress
a long-sleeved shirt
7. TIRING/BORING spoken making you feel tired or bored:
It’s been a long day.
8. VOWEL technical a long vowel in a word is pronounced for a longer time than a short vowel with the same sound OPP short
9. how long is a piece of string? British English spoken used when there is no definite answer to a question:
‘How long will it take to finish the project?’ ‘How long is a piece of string?’
10. the long and (the) short of it spoken used when you are telling someone the most important facts about something rather than all the details:
The long and the short of it is that we missed the train.
11. the long arm of somebody/something written the power of someone or something that has authority, especially to catch and punish someone:
He won’t escape the long arm of the law.
12. long face a sad or disappointed expression on someone’s face
13. long in the tooth informal too old – used humorously:
I’m getting a bit long in the tooth for this sort of thing.
14. not long for this world literary likely to die or stop existing soon
15. long on something having a lot of a quality:
He was short on patience, but long on a sense of his own worth.
16. long odds if there are long odds against something happening, it is very unlikely that it will happen
17. in the long run/term used when talking about what will happen at a later time or when something is finished:
All our hard work will be worth it in the long run.
18. long shot someone or something with very little chance of success:
Chelsea are a 20–1 long shot to win the championship.
19. long time no see spoken used humorously to say hello when you have not seen someone for a long time
20. take the long view (of something) to think about the effect that something will have in the future rather than what happens now
21. a long way very much, far, or a great amount or degree:
We’re still a long way from achieving our sales targets.
Psychiatry has come a long way (=developed a lot) since the 1920s.
Your contributions will go a long way towards helping children in need (=will help to reach a goal).
by a long way/shot informal also by a long chalk )British English (=used when something is much better, quicker, cheaper etc)
It was his best performance this year, by a long way.
not by a long way/shot informal also not by a long chalk )British English (=not at all or not nearly)
He had not told Rory everything, not by a long shot.
22. long weekend three or more days, including Saturday and Sunday, when you do not have to go to work or school
⇨ at (long) last at ↑last3(2), ⇨ it’s a long story at ↑story(10), ⇨ cut/make a long story short at ↑story(11), ⇨ a little (of something) goes a long way at ↑little2(5), ⇨ have a long way to go at ↑way1(19)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ long continuing for a long time: The film was very long. | There has been a long period without rain.
▪ lengthy continuing for a long time, especially longer than you want or expect: Drivers face lengthy delays on all roads out of the city. | Police are going through the lengthy process of re-examining all the evidence. | He faces a lengthy prison sentence.
▪ long-running [only before noun] continuing for a long time - used especially about disputes, campaigns, or shows: He has been involved in a long-running dispute with his neighbour. | The programme is one of the longest-running series on television. | a long-running campaign to prevent the airport from being built
▪ long-lasting continuing for a long time – used especially about effects or relationships: Stress can have long-lasting effects. | While at the school, she made many long-lasting friendships.
▪ protracted formal continuing for a long time, especially an unusually long time: Despite protracted negotiations, they were unable to reach an agreement. | The couple have been involved in a protracted battle for custody of their children.
▪ prolonged continuing for a long time, especially longer than expected, or longer in a way that makes a situation worse: He returned to work after a prolonged absence. | Studies have linked prolonged use of the drug to cancer. | a prolonged period of economic decline
▪ extended [only before noun] continuing for a long time - used especially about visits, trips, breaks etc that last longer than was planned: an extended stay in hospital | He took an extended break from work after his father died. | She didn’t like being away from home for extended periods.
▪ lasting [only before noun] strong enough or great enough to continue for a long time: The negotiations were aimed at achieving a lasting peace. | This affair has done lasting damage to the President’s credibility. | The book left a lasting impression on me.
▪ enduring continuing for a long time – used especially about memories, influences, or feelings of liking someone or something: One of my most enduring memories is of going on holiday to France with my parents. | the enduring appeal of Conan Doyle's stories | his enduring love for Ireland
▪ marathon [only before noun] continuing for a very long time and needing a lot of energy, patience, or determination: It was a marathon session of talks which continued until 3 am. | He arrived after a marathon journey across Europe.
■ too long
▪ long-winded continuing for too long - used about speeches, answers, explanations etc: a very long-winded answer to a simple question | He gave a long-winded speech about the company's vision for the future.
▪ interminable very long and boring: They faced an interminable wait in the departure lounge of the airport. | The journey seemed interminable.
▪ long-drawn-out [only before noun] used about a process that continues for much too long: The news heightened expectations that the long-drawn-out investigation might be coming to a close.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
long
long [long longs longed longing] adjective, adverb, verb [lɒŋ] [lɔːŋ] [lɑːŋ]
adjective (long·er [ˈlɒŋɡə(r)] ; [ˈlɔːŋɡər] ; [ˈlɑːŋɡər] long·est [ˈlɒŋɡɪst] ; [ˈlɔːŋɡɪst] ; [ˈlɑːŋɡɪst] )
DISTANCE
1. measuring or covering a great length or distance, or a greater length or distance than usual
• She had long dark hair.
• He walked down the long corridor.
• It was the world's longest bridge.
• a long journey/walk/drive/flight
• We're a long way from anywhere here.
• It's a long way away.
Opp: short
2. used for asking or talking about particular lengths or distances
• How long is the River Nile?
• The table is six feet long.
• The report is only three pages long.
TIME
3. lasting or taking a great amount of time or more time than usual
• He's been ill (for) a long time.
• There was a long silence before she spoke.
• I like it now the days are getting longer (= it stays light for more time each day).
• a long book/film/list (= taking a lot of time to read/watch/deal with)
• Nurses have to work long hours (= for more hours in the day than is usual).
• (NAmE) He stared at them for the longest time (= for a very long time) before answering.
Opp: short
4. used for asking or talking about particular periods of time
• How long is the course?
• I think it's only three weeks long.
• How long a stay did you have in mind?
5. seeming to last or take more time than it really does because, for example, you are very busy or not happy
• I'm tired. It's been a long day.
• We were married for ten long years.
Opp: short
CLOTHES
6. covering all or most of your legs or arms
• She usually wears long skirts.
• a long-sleeved shirt
Opp: short
VOWEL SOUNDS
7. (phonetics) taking more time to make than a short vowel sound in the same position
Opp: short
more at it's as broad as it is long at broad adj., kick sth into the long grass at kick v., in the long/short/medium term at term n., go a long/some way towards doing sth at way n.
Word Origin:
adj. and adv. n. Old English lang long lange longe Germanic Dutch German lang
v. Old English langian ‘grow long, prolong’ ‘dwell in thought, yearn’ Germanic Dutch langen ‘present, offer’ German langen ‘reach, extend’
Thesaurus:
long adj.
• There was a long silence.
long-lasting • |especially written prolonged • • lengthy • • extended • |formal protracted •
Opp: short, Opp: brief
a long/prolonged/lengthy/extended period
a long/prolonged/lengthy/protracted delay/dispute/illness
long/prolonged/lengthy/extended/protracted negotiations
Word Family:
long adjective adverb
length noun
lengthy adjective
lengthen verb
Which Word?:
(for) long / (for) a long time
Both (for) long and (for) a long time are used as expressions of time. In positive sentences (for) a long time is used: ▪ We’ve been friends a long time. (For) long is not used in positive sentences unless it is used with too, enough, as, so, seldom, etc: ▪ I stayed out in the sun for too long. ◊ ▪ You’ve been waiting long enough. Both (for) long and (for) a long time can be used in questions, but (for) long is usually preferred: ▪ Have you been waiting long?
In negative sentences (for) a long time sometimes has a different meaning from (for) long. Compare: ▪ I haven’t been here for a long time ▪ (= It is a long time since the last time I was here) and ▪ I haven’t been here long ▪ (= I arrived here only a short time ago).
Example Bank:
• At 900 pages, the book is overly long.
• Economy class can be uncomfortable for those with extra-long legs.
• His drive to work is fairly long.
• My hair had grown long.
• That dress looks a bit long to me.
• a pair of impossibly long legs
• an unusually long pause
• He let out a long slow breath.
• How long is the film?
• I haven't seen him for a long time.
• I think it's only about two hours long.
• I'm tired. It's been a long day.
• It took me a long time to accept the situation.
• Nurses have to work long hours.
• a long book/film/list
• a long corridor/bridge
• long hair
Idioms: as long as ▪ as long as your arm ▪ at long last ▪ at the longest ▪ by a long way ▪ cut a long story short ▪ for long ▪ go a long way ▪ go back a long way ▪ have a long way to go ▪ have come a long way ▪ how long have you got? ▪ how long is a piece of string? ▪ in the long run ▪ it's a long story. ▪ long and short of it ▪ long arm of something ▪ long face ▪ long in the tooth ▪ long live somebody ▪ long on something ▪ long shot ▪ long time no see ▪ no longer ▪ not by a long chalk ▪ so long ▪ take a long look at something ▪ take the long view
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
long / lɒŋ / / lɑːŋ / adjective (TIME)
A1 continuing for a large amount of time:
a long film/meeting
I've been waiting a long time .
It's a long time since I worked there.
Apparently the sessions are an hour long.
long / lɒŋ / / lɑːŋ / adjective (DISTANCE)
A1 being a distance between two points that is more than average or usual:
long hair
long legs
a long dress
There was a long queue at the post office.
We're still a long way from the station.
long / lɒŋ / / lɑːŋ / adjective (MANY WORDS)
A2 describes a piece of writing that has a lot of pages or words:
a long letter/book/report
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
long
I. TIME
/lɒŋ, AM lɔ:ŋ/
(longer /lɒŋgə(r), AM lɔ:ŋgər/, longest /lɒŋgɪst, AM lɔ:ŋgɪst/)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
Long means a great amount of time or for a great amount of time.
Repairs to the cable did not take too long...
Have you known her parents long?...
I learned long ago to avoid these invitations...
The railway had obviously been built long after the house...
...long-established social traditions.
ADV: ADV with v, oft ADV adv/prep
•
The expression for long is used to mean ‘for a great amount of time’.
‘Did you live there?’—‘Not for long.’...
Developing countries won’t put up with the situation for much longer...
For too long there was a huge gap in the market.
PHRASE: PHR after v
2.
A long event or period of time lasts for a great amount of time or takes a great amount of time.
We had a long meeting with the attorney general...
They sat looking at each other for a long while...
He must have started writing his book a long time ago.
≠ short
ADJ: usu ADJ n
3.
You use long to ask or talk about amounts of time.
How long have you lived around here?...
He has been on a diet for as long as any of his friends can remember...
She reflected no longer than a second before she decisively slit the envelope.
ADV: how ADV, as ADV as, ADV compar than
•
Long is also an adjective.
How long is the usual stay in hospital?...
The average commuter journey there is five hours long.
ADJ: how ADJ, amount ADJ
4.
A long speech, book, film, or list contains a lot of information or a lot of items and takes a lot of time to listen to, read, watch, or deal with.
He was making quite a long speech...
This is a long film, three hours and seven minutes.
≠ short
ADJ: usu ADJ n
5.
If you describe a period of time or work as long, you mean it lasts for more hours or days than is usual, or seems to last for more time than it actually does.
Go to sleep. I’ve got a long day tomorrow...
She was a TV reporter and worked long hours...
This has been the longest week of my life.
≠ short
ADJ: usu ADJ n
6.
If someone has a long memory, they are able to remember things that happened far back in the past.
≠ short
ADJ: usu ADJ n
7.
Long is used in expressions such as all year long, the whole day long, and your whole life long to say and emphasize that something happens for the whole of a particular period of time.
We played that record all night long...
Snow is sometimes found all summer long upon the highest peaks.
ADV: n ADV [emphasis]
II. DISTANCE AND SIZE
/lɒŋ, AM lɔ:ŋ/
(longer /lɒŋgə(r), AM lɔ:ŋgər/, longest /lɒŋgɪst, AM lɔ:ŋgɪst/)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
Something that is long measures a great distance from one end to the other.
...a long table...
A long line of people formed outside the doctor’s office...
Her hair was long and dark...
≠ short
ADJ
2.
A long distance is a great distance. A long journey or route covers a great distance.
His destination was Chobham Common, a long way from his Cotswold home...
The long journey tired him...
I went for a long walk.
≠ short
ADJ: usu ADJ n
3.
A long piece of clothing covers the whole of someone’s legs or more of their legs than usual. Clothes with long sleeves cover the whole of someone’s arms.
She is wearing a long black dress.
...a long-sleeved blouse.
≠ short
ADJ: ADJ n
4.
You use long to talk or ask about the distance something measures from one end to the other.
An eight-week-old embryo is only an inch long...
How long is the tunnel?...
In the roots of the olives, you could find centipedes as long as a pencil.
ADJ: amount ADJ, how ADJ, as ADJ as, ADJ-compar than
•
Long is also a combining form.
...a three-foot-long gash in the tanker’s side.
COMB in ADJ
III. PHRASES
/lɒŋ, AM lɔ:ŋ/
(longer /lɒŋgə(r), AM lɔ:ŋgər/)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Please look at category 6 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
If you say that something is the case as long as or so long as something else is the case, you mean that it is only the case if the second thing is the case.
The interior minister said he would still support them, as long as they didn’t break the rules...
The president need not step down so long as the elections are held under international supervision.
PHRASE
2.
If you say that someone won’t be long, you mean that you think they will arrive or be back soon. If you say that it won’t be long before something happens, you mean that you think it will happen soon.
‘What’s happened to her?’—‘I’m sure she won’t be long.’...
If every tune from Radiohead is as good as this one is, it can’t be long before they are household names.
PHRASE: oft it PHR before cl
3.
If you say that something will happen or happened before long, you mean that it will happen or happened soon.
German interest rates will come down before long...
Before long he took over the editing of the magazine.
PHRASE: PHR after v, PHR with cl
4.
Something that is no longer the case used to be the case but is not the case now. You can also say that something is not the case any longer.
Food shortages are no longer a problem...
I noticed that he wasn’t sitting by the door any longer.
PHRASE: PHR group/cl, PHR with v
5.
You can say so long as an informal way of saying goodbye.
Well, so long, pal, see you around.
= bye
CONVENTION [formulae]
6.
a long face: see face
at long last: see last
in the long run: see run
a long shot: see shot
in the long term: see term
long in the tooth: see tooth
to take the long view: see view
to go a long way: see way
IV. VERB USES
/lɒŋ, AM lɔ:ŋ/
(longs, longing, longed)
If you long for something, you want it very much.
Steve longed for the good old days...
I’m longing to meet her...
He longed for the winter to be over.
VERB: V for n, V to-inf, V for n to-inf
see also longing
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1long /ˈlɑːŋ/ adj lon·ger /ˈlɑːŋgɚ/; lon·gest /ˈlɑːŋgəst/
1 a : extending a great distance from one end to the other end : not short
• long hair
• long legs
• a long corridor
• The bridge is the longest in the world.
• We drove a long distance.
• the long/longer side of the building
• 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.
• It's a long movie.
• The company has a long tradition of serving its customers well.
• I've known them for a long time. [=many years]
• I haven't seen them for/in a (very) long time. = (US) I haven't seen them for the longest time.
• The changes took a long time to come. = The changes were long in coming. [=the changes did not happen quickly]
• It happened a long time ago. [=far in the past; not at all recently]
• The test should take an hour at the longest. [=it should not be longer than an hour]
• She is used to working long hours. [=she often works for many hours at a time]
• 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]
• She gave him a long look. [=she looked at him for many seconds]
• It's been a long day. [=a difficult day in which time seems to go by slowly]
• We took Friday off and went to the coast for a long weekend. [=a weekend with an extra day added to it]
b : lasting or continuing for a specified amount of time
• The movie is three hours long. [=it lasts three hours]
• A day is 24 hours long.
- see also daylong, monthlong, weeklong
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
• long and short vowels
• the long “a” in “make”
• the long “e” in “sweet”
• the long “i” in “ice”
• the long “u” in “use”
- compare 1short 8
7 of someone's face : showing sadness
• Why the long face? [=you look sad; why are you sad?]
a long way : a great distance
• He grew up a long way from here.
• Their house is a long way (away) from here.
- often used figuratively in various phrases
• We've done a lot of work, but we have a long way to go. [=we still have a lot of work to do]
• 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.
• These problems go back a long way. [=these problems have existed for a long time]
• 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
- see 5last
how long is a piece of string
- see 1string
long in the tooth
- see 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
- see 1chalk
not long for this world
- see 1world
take the long view
- see 1view
the long arm of the law
- see 1arm
