Antonyms for long


Grammar : Adj, verb
Spell : lawng, long
Phonetic Transcription : lɔŋ, lɒŋ


Definition of long

Origin :
  • "that extends considerably from end to end," Old English lang "long," from Proto-Germanic *langgaz (cf. Old Frisian and Old Saxon lang, Old High German and German lang, Old Norse langr, Middle Dutch lanc, Dutch lang, Gothic laggs "long").
  • The Germanic words are perhaps from PIE *dlonghos- (cf. Latin longus, Old Persian darga-, Persian dirang, Sanskrit dirghah, Greek dolikhos "long," Greek endelekhes "perpetual," Latin indulgere "to indulge"), from root *del- "long."
  • The adverb is from Old English lange, longe, from the adjective. No longer "not as formerly" is from c.1300; to be not long for this world "soon to die" is from 1714.
  • The word illustrates the Old English tendency for short "a" to become short "o" before -n- (also retained in bond/band and West Midlands dialectal lond from land and hond from hand).
  • Long vowels (c.1000) originally were pronounced for an extended time. Sporting long ball is from 1744, originally in cricket. Long jump as a sporting event is attested from 1864. A ship's long-boat so called from 1510s. Long knives, name Native Americans gave to white settlers (originally in Virginia/Kentucky) is from 1774. Long in the tooth (1841 of persons) is from horses showing age by recession of gums. Long time no see, imitative of American Indian speech, is first recorded 1900. To be long on something, "have a lot" of it, is from 1900, American English slang.
  • adj extended in space or time
  • adj interminable, excessive in length
  • verb desire, crave
Example sentences :
  • His long habit of thought concerning her enabled him to master this foolishness.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • I need cheerfulness and rest for a long time after this day in town.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • They gently raised him, bolstered him with pillows, and told him he had long been ill.
  • Extract from : « Philothea » by Lydia Maria Child
  • Exhausted in mind and body, she could not long endure this tide of recollection.
  • Extract from : « Philothea » by Lydia Maria Child
  • There was a long, airy gallery, in which he was allowed to take exercise any hour of the day.
  • Extract from : « Philothea » by Lydia Maria Child
  • A life-time as long as that conferred upon the namesake of Tithonus.
  • Extract from : « Philothea » by Lydia Maria Child
  • Where is he, I wonder, and how long have I got to wait for him?
  • Extract from : « Brave and Bold » by Horatio Alger
  • The track was plain enough, and there were hamlets at long intervals.
  • Extract from : « The Armourer's Prentices » by Charlotte M. Yonge
  • This one, at the rate I have observed, will not last so long.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • He will not so long correspond with an environment even so unexacting as this.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson

Synonyms for long

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019