LENGTHY (lengthier, lengthiest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: lengthier    , lengthiest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lengthy mean? 

• LENGTHY (adjective)
  The adjective LENGTHY has 1 sense:

1. relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

  Familiarity information: LENGTHY used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LENGTHY (adjective)

Comparative: lengthier   
Superlative: lengthiest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

Synonyms:

drawn-out; extended; lengthy; prolonged; protracted

Context example:

protracted negotiations

Similar:

long (primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified)

Derivation:

length (continuance in time)

lengthiness (the consequence of being lengthened in duration)

 Context examples 

The current study suggests that society would have generations to adapt to a lengthy period of magnetic instability.

(Earth's last magnetic field reversal took far longer than once thought, National Science Foundation)

These few inquiries proved, however, to be a more lengthy proceeding than Holmes had imagined, for he did not return to the inn until nearly nine o’clock.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A lengthier name possibly revealing more about an entity than the shorter Preferred Name but intended to have the same meaning.

(Long Name, NCI Thesaurus)

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) did not cross the species barrier to infect cynomolgus macaque monkeys during a lengthy investigation by National Institutes of Health scientists exploring risks to humans.

(Study finds no chronic wasting disease transmissibility in macaques, National Institutes of Health)

Instead of designing, synthesising and testing new drugs – an incredibly costly and lengthy process – you can make a few simple changes to the siRNA molecule and treat an entirely different disease.

(Nanoparticles used to transport anti-cancer agent to cells, University of Cambridge)

Coleman's Weekly sent Martin a lengthy telegram, costing nearly three hundred dollars, offering him a thousand dollars an article for twenty articles.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

But there goes the bell, and as I stand to win a little on this next race, I shall defer a lengthy explanation until a more fitting time.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The facts are briefly these: Some five years ago, during a lengthy visit to Warsaw, I made the acquaintance of the well-known adventuress, Irene Adler.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

While not naming any other bidders, Maróth said the Hungarian bid won after lengthy negotiations, out of mulitple competing offers.

(Hungarian state-owned enterprise acquires Hirtenberger Defence Group, Wikinews)

I will not trouble you with any lengthy cross-examination, Professor Coram, since I gather that you were in bed at the time of the crime, and could know nothing about it.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)