Meaning & Definition
noun
A long period of time or distance.
It felt like a long of waiting before the results were announced.
verb
To have a strong desire or wish for something.
I long for the days when we used to play outside.
To yearn or desire eagerly.
He longed for adventure and excitement in his life.
adjective
Measuring a great distance from one end to the other.
The river is long, stretching over a hundred miles.
Having a duration of a specified number of hours, days, or other time periods.
It was a long meeting that lasted more than three hours.
Extended in time or space; not short.
She has a long list of things to do before the deadline.
Etymology
Old English lang, long, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch lang and German lang.
Common Phrases and Expressions
long shot:
A venture or guess that has a low probability of success.
long and short of it:
The main point; the essential details.
long story short:
To cut to the chase; to summarize quickly.
Slang Meanings
To feel like something is taking too much time.
That movie was long, I almost dozed off!
A term used in certain phrases to denote excessive length or duration.
It's a long drive to get there, so let's leave early.