long
adjective /lɒŋ/
/lɔːŋ/
(comparative longer
/ˈlɒŋɡə(r)/
/ˈlɔːŋɡər/
, superlative longest /ˈlɒŋɡɪst/
/ˈlɔːŋɡɪst/
)Word Family
Idioms - long adjective adverb
- length noun
- lengthy adjective
- lengthen verb
enlarge imagemeasuring 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.
- He had long, thin fingers.
- a lush meadow of long grass
Extra ExamplesTopics Appearancea1- Economy class can be uncomfortable for those with extra-long legs.
- His drive to work is fairly long.
- That dress looks a bit long to me.
- After the hurricane, many are forced to wait in very long lines to get food or gas.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- 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.
- 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).
- (North American English) He stared at them for the longest time (= for a very long time) before answering.
- Chicago has a long history of country music.
- to have a long life/career
Which Word? (for) long / (for) a long time(for) long / (for) a long timeopposite short- 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.
- I stayed out in the sun for too long.
- You’ve been waiting long enough.
- 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)
Extra Examples- an unusually long pause
- He let out a long, slow breath.
- It took me a long time to accept the situation.
- Winters are long and severe in the far north.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- 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?
- 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.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- covering all or most of your legs or arms
- She usually wears long skirts.
- a long-sleeved shirt
- long on something (informal) having a lot of a particular quality
- The government is long on ideas but short on performance.
- (phonetics) a long vowel is pronounced for a longer time than other vowels
- Compare the long vowel in ‘beat’ and the short vowel in ‘bit’.
distance
time
clothes
having a lot of something
vowel sounds
Word Originadjective Old English lang, long (adjective), lange, longe (adverb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German lang.
Idioms
as long as your arm
- (informal) very long
- There's a list of repairs as long as your arm.
at the longest
- not longer than the particular time given
- It will take an hour at the longest.
at long last
- after a long time synonym finally
- At long last his prayers had been answered.
by a long way
- by a great amount
- He was the best by a long way.
go back 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.
go a long way
- (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).
go a long/some way towards doing something
- to help very much/a little in achieving something
- The new law goes a long way towards solving the problem.
have come a long way
- to have made a lot of progress
- We've come a long way since the early days of the project.
- The study of genes has come a long way in recent years.
have a long way to go
- 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 fit.
how long is a piece of string?
- (British English, informal) used to say that there is no definite answer to a question
- ‘How long will it take?’ ‘How long's a piece of string?’
in the long run
- relating to a longer period in the future
- This measure inevitably means higher taxes in the long run.
in the long/short/medium term
- 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.
- In the long term, our efforts will pay off.
it’s as broad as it’s long
- (British English, informal) it makes no real difference which of two possible choices you makeTopics Preferences and decisionsc2
It’s a long story.
- (informal) used to say that the reasons for something are complicated and you would prefer not to give all the details
kick something into the long grass/into touch
- (British English) to reject something or treat it as not important; to stop dealing with a problem
- He tends to deal with disputes by kicking them into the long grass.
the long and (the) short of it
- used when you are telling somebody the essential facts about something or what effect it will have, without explaining all the details
the long arm of something
- the power and/or authority of something
- There is no escape from the long arm of the law.
(pull, wear, etc.) a long face
- (to have) an unhappy or disappointed expression
- He took one look at her long face and said ‘What’s wrong?’
- The news for the company isn't good, judging from the long faces in the boardroom.
long in the tooth
- (humorous, especially British English) old or too old
a long shot
- 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.
(to cut a) long story short (British English)
(North American English (to make a) long story short)
- (informal) used when you are saying that you will get to the point of what you are saying quickly, without including all the details
- To cut a long story short, we didn’t get home until 3 in the morning!
- Anyway, long story short: we had this argument and I haven't seen him since.
long time no see
- (informal) used to say hello to somebody you have not seen for a long time
not by a long chalk (British English)
(also not by a long shot North American English, British English)
- not nearly; not at all
- It's not over yet—not by a long chalk.
take a long (cool/hard) look at something
- to consider a problem or possibility very carefully and without hurrying
- We need to take a long, hard look at all the options.
take the long view (of something)
- 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.