prolong
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to lengthen out in time; extend the duration of; cause to continue longer.
to prolong one's stay abroad.
- Antonyms:
- abbreviate
-
to make longer in spatial extent.
to prolong a line.
verb
Related Words
See lengthen.
Other Word Forms
- prolongable adjective
- prolongableness noun
- prolongably adverb
- prolongation noun
- prolonger noun
- prolongment noun
- unprolongable adjective
Etymology
Origin of prolong
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English prolongen, from Late Latin prōlongāre “to lengthen,” equivalent to prō- “forward, forth” + long(us) “long” + -ā- theme vowel + -re infinitive ending; pro- 1, long 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Trade officials warned that, if prolonged, higher energy prices could drive up costs for businesses and consumers and weigh on the global and Singapore economies.
Investors anticipate prolonged disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint.
A prolonged disruption of the Strait would force countries to pull millions of barrels from storage tanks every day, and quickly force prices higher to incentivize other producers to make up the gap.
From Barron's
A prolonged disruption of the Strait would force countries to pull millions of barrels from storage tanks every day, and quickly force prices higher to incentivize other producers to make up the gap.
From Barron's
Analysts say Iran has long treated the strait as a strategic pressure point, though a full prolonged blockade is considered unlikely as Tehran relies on the same route for crude exports and wider trade.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
