Standard Lemma guide

lengthy

adj · 3 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.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L EH1 NG TH IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having length; long and overextended, especially in time rather than dimension.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a lengthy text
  • a lengthy discussion
  • a laborious and lengthy process
  • She died last night after a lengthy illness.
  • They received lengthy prison terms.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Speaking or writing at length; long-winded.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a drawn-out argument
  • an extended discussion
  • a lengthy visit from her mother-in-law
  • a prolonged and bitter struggle
  • protracted negotiations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: drawn-out, extended, prolonged, protracted

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English length Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English lengthy From length + -y.

Across languages

Translations

34 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: проточен (protočen) — long of time
  • Czech: zdlouhavý — long of time
  • Esperanto: longaĉa — long of time
  • French: long — long of time
  • French: longuet — long of time
  • German: lang — long of time
  • German: ausgedehnt — long of time
  • German: langdauernd — long of time
  • German: langwierig — long of time
  • German: ellenlang — long of time
  • German: langanhaltend — long of time
  • Hungarian: hosszadalmas — long of time
  • Italian: lungo — long of time
  • Italian: esteso — long of time
  • Italian: lento — long of time
  • Central Kurdish: دوور ودرێژ (dûr widrêj) — long of time
  • Māori: taumano — long of time
  • Māori: tautini — long of time
  • Māori: tūroa — long of time
  • Portuguese: extensível — long of time
  • Portuguese: extenso — long of time
  • Russian: дли́тельный (dlítelʹnyj) — long of time
  • Swedish: lång — long of time
  • Swedish: långvarig — long of time
  • Swedish: utdragen — long of time
  • Ottoman Turkish: اوزون (uzun) — long of time
  • Bulgarian: твърде дълъг (tvǎrde dǎlǎg) — long in physical distance
  • Māori: roa — long in physical distance
  • Māori: whāroa — long in physical distance
  • Turkish: upuzun — long in physical distance
  • Bulgarian: многословен (mnogosloven) — long-winded
  • Russian: многосло́вный (mnogoslóvnyj) — long-winded
  • Russian: многоречи́вый (mnogorečívyj) — long-winded
  • Russian: простра́нный (prostránnyj) — long-winded