📒 measuring 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.
📒 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).
📒 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.
📒 covering all or most of your legs or arms
- She usually wears long skirts.
- a long-sleeved shirt
📒 travelling a great distance
- The full-back intercepted an attempted long pass and ran through to score.
- A hopeful long ball from out of defence led to a goal.
- She's good with the driver and hits a long ball.
📒 travelling too far so that it goes out of play
- Her return of serve was long.
📒 having a lot of a particular quality
- The government is long on ideas but short on performance.
📒 a long vowel is pronounced for a longer time than other vowels
- Compare the long vowel in ‘beat’ and the short vowel in ‘bit’.
📒 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
- At long last his prayers had been answered.
📒 by a great amount
- He was the best by a long way.
📒 to have known each other for a long time
- We go back a long way, he and I.
📒 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).
📒 to help very much/a little in achieving something
- The new law goes a long way towards solving the problem.
📒 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.
📒 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.
📒 used to say that there is no definite answer to a question
- ‘How long will it take?’ ‘How long's a piece of string?’
📒 relating to 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.
- In the long term, our efforts will pay off.
📒 it makes no real difference which of two possible choices you make
📒 used to say that the reasons for something are complicated and you would prefer not to give all the details
📒 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.
📒 used when you are telling somebody 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?’
- The news for the company isn't good, judging from the long faces in the boardroom.
📒 old or too old
📒 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 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.
📒 used to say hello to somebody you have not seen for a long time
📒 not nearly; not at all
- It's not over yet—not by a long chalk.
📒 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.