lengthy

/ˈleŋkθi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈleŋkθi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈleŋ(k)-thē ˈlen(t)-/ (ame, mw)

lengthy — adjective

  • lengthypositive
  • lengthiercomparative
  • lengthiestsuperlative

1. lasting much longer than expected, or containing more words or pages than needed

1.形容詞B2
釋義

lasting much longer than expected, or containing more words or pages than needed, often in a way that feels tiring

例句

Asher had to sit through a lengthy meeting about office cleaning schedules.

collocation: lengthy meeting

The doctor's explanation was so lengthy that Minh forgot the first part before she finished.

predicative: was + lengthy + that-clause showing consequence

同義詞
  • long

    neutral and more common than 'lengthy'; works for any duration without implying a negative judgement

  • protracted

    more formal, emphasises that something continues far longer than expected, often in a negative sense

  • prolonged

    suggests something lasts longer than usual, often with a feeling of impatience or difficulty

  • extended

    can be neutral or positive; often suggests a deliberate lengthening rather than an unwanted duration

反義詞
  • brief

    short in duration; the direct opposite in time contexts

  • short

    general opposite for both time and size

文法句型

lengthy + [noun]

be / become / seem + lengthy

用法筆記

More formal and often more negative in tone than the neutral word 'long'. Common after nouns like meeting, process, speech, document, delay, and explanation to imply that something has taken or required too much time or space.

常見錯誤

❌The Amazon River is lengthy.
✅The Amazon River is long.
💡'lengthy' is not used for neutral description of physical size; use 'long' instead.
❌I had a lengthy sleep last night.
✅I had a long sleep last night.
💡'lengthy' sounds unnatural for positive or neutral experiences; 'long' works better.