Standard Lemma guide

lengthen

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈlɛŋθən/
  • /ˈlɛŋkθən/
  • New-Jersey: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛŋkθən
  • CMU ARPABET: L EH1 NG TH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: L EH1 NG K TH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make longer, to extend the length of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • You need to lengthen the story if you want to have it published.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To become longer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The shadows on the lawn lengthened as the sun began to set.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

become long or longer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • In Spring, the days lengthen

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: shorten

Broader terms: grow

4

verb

Meaning 4

make longer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Lengthen this skirt, please

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: shorten

Broader terms: increase

Narrower terms: prolong, protract, extend, draw out, elongate, stretch

History

Etymology

From length + -en.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: zgat — to make longer
  • Amharic: አስረዘመ (ʾäsräzämä) — to make longer
  • Arabic: طَوَّلَ (ṭawwala) — to make longer
  • Arabic: أَطَالَ (ʔaṭāla) — to make longer
  • Armenian: երկարացնել (erkaracʻnel) — to make longer
  • Aromanian: lundzescu — to make longer
  • Assamese: দীঘলা (dighola) — to make longer
  • Assamese: দীঘল কৰ (dighol kor) — to make longer
  • Breton: hiraat — to make longer
  • Bulgarian: удължавам (udǎlžavam) — to make longer
  • Catalan: allargar — to make longer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 加長 /加长 (jiācháng) — to make longer
  • Czech: prodloužit — to make longer
  • Finnish: pidentää — to make longer
  • French: rallonger — to make longer
  • Georgian: დაგრძელება (dagrʒeleba) — to make longer
  • Georgian: დაჭიმვა (dač̣imva) — to make longer
  • German: verlängern — to make longer
  • Ancient Greek: μακρύνω (makrúnō) — to make longer
  • Ancient Greek: μηκύνω (mēkúnō) — to make longer
  • Ido: longeskar — to make longer
  • Ingrian: pitentää — to make longer
  • Irish: sín — to make longer
  • Italian: allungare — to make longer
  • Japanese: 延ばす (nobasu) — to make longer
  • Japanese: 長くする (nagaku suru) — to make longer
  • Japanese: 延長する (enchō suru) — to make longer
  • Jarai: pơglông — to make longer
  • Kazakh: ұзару (ūzaru) — to make longer
  • Ladino: alargar — to make longer
  • Macedonian: должи (dolži) — to make longer
  • Macedonian: продолжува (prodolžuva) — to make longer
  • Māori: whakaroa — to make longer
  • Māori: katete — to make longer
  • Norman: allouongni — to make longer
  • Polish: przedłużyć — to make longer
  • Polish: wydłużyć — to make longer
  • Portuguese: alongar — to make longer
  • Portuguese: acompridar — to make longer
  • Portuguese: encompridar — to make longer
  • Romanian: lungi — to make longer
  • Russian: удлиня́ть (udlinjátʹ) — to make longer
  • Russian: удлини́ть (udlinítʹ) — to make longer
  • Spanish: alargar — to make longer
  • Spanish: elongar — to make longer
  • Swahili: refusha — to make longer
  • Swedish: förlänga — to make longer
  • Telugu: పొడిగించు (poḍigiñcu) — to make longer
  • Amharic: ረዘመ (räzämä) — to become longer
  • Arabic: طَالَ (ṭāla) — to become longer
  • Assamese: দীঘল হোৱা (dighol hüa) — to become longer
  • Bulgarian: удължавам се (udǎlžavam se) — to become longer
  • Czech: prodloužit se — to become longer
  • Finnish: pidentyä — to become longer
  • Finnish: pidetä — to become longer
  • Ingrian: pitetä — to become longer
  • Kazakh: ұзару (ūzaru) — to become longer
  • Spanish: alargarse — to become longer
  • Swedish: förlängas — to become longer