- 1measuring 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. opposite short
- 2used 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.
- 3lasting or taking a great amount of time or more time than usual He's been sick (for) a long time. There was a long silence before she spoke. I like it now that the days are getting longer (= it stays light for more time each day). a long book/movie/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). He stared at them for the longest time (= for a very long time) before answering. opposite short
- 4used 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?
- 5seeming 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. opposite short clothes
- 6covering all or most of your legs or arms She usually wears long skirts. a long-sleeved shirt vowel sounds
- 7(phonetics) taking more time to make than a short vowel sound in the same position opposite short long adjective adverblength nounlengthy adjectivelengthen verblong adjective adverblength nounlengthy adjectivelengthen verbIdioms
distance
very long There's a list of repairs as long as your arm.
not longer than the particular time given It will take an hour at the longest.
after a long time synonym finally At long last his prayers had been answered.
by a great amount He was the best by a long way.
(of two or more people) to have known each other for a long time We go back a long way, he and I.
(of money, food, etc.) to last a long time She seems to make her money go a long way. A small amount of this paint goes a long way (= covers a large area). (ironic) I find that a little of Jerry's company can go a long way (= I quickly get tired of being with him). see way
to help very much/a little in achieving something The new law goes a long way toward solving the problem.
to have made a lot of progress We've come a long way since the early days of the project.
to need to make a lot of progress before you can achieve something She still has a long way to go before she's fully recovered.
concerning a longer period in the future This measure inevitably means higher taxes in the long run.
used to describe what will happen a long, short, etc. time in the future Such a development seems unlikely, at least in the short term (= it will not happen for quite a long time). In the longer term, children of depressed mothers are more likely to suffer from childhood depression. see long-term, medium-term, short-term
used to say that the reasons for something are complicated and you would prefer not to give all the details
used when you are telling someone the essential facts about something or what effect it will have, without explaining all the details
the power and/or authority of something There is no escape from the long arm of the law.
(to have) an unhappy or disappointed expression He took one look at her long face and said “What's wrong?”
old or too old This originally referred to the fact that a horse's teeth appear to be longer as it grows older, because its gums shrink.
having a lot of a particular quality The government is long on ideas but short on performance.
an attempt or a guess that is not likely to be successful but is worth trying It's a long shot, but it just might work.
used to say hello to someone you have not seen for a long time
not nearly; not at all It's not over yet—not by a long shot.
to consider a problem or possibility very carefully and without hurrying We need to take a long hard look at all the options.
to consider what is likely to happen or be important over a long period of time rather than only considering the present situation As pension funds are investing for members' retirements, they can take the long view.
used when you are saying that you will get to the point of what you are saying quickly, without including all the details To make a long story short, we didn't get home until 3 in the morning!
Check pronunciation: long