long

long1 [ lɔŋ ] adjective ***

▸ 1 measurement/distance

▸ 2 lasting long time

▸ 3 measuring distance/time

▸ 4 book/letter/list

▸ 5 clothes

▸ 6 about ball in sports

▸ 7 drink: in tall glass

▸ 8 about vowel

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) measuring a large amount from one end to the other:

a woman with long blonde hair

There was a long line outside the bank.

We walked into a long narrow hall.

It's the longest tunnel in Europe.

a ) covering a large distance:

We went for a long walk.

It's a long way to Tokyo from here.

─ opposite SHORT

2. ) lasting for a large amount of time:

It's a been long time since I saw Rachel.

There was a long pause before he spoke.

a long history of mental illness

a ) seeming to last for a very long time, especially because you are bored or tired:

It had been a very long week.

b ) if you work long hours, or a long day, you work more than usual

c ) if you have a long memory, you remember even small things that happened many years ago

─ opposite SHORT

3. ) used for saying or asking how far it is from one end of something to the other:

10 feet/2 centimeters/7 inches etc. long: The room was ten feet long.

how long...?: How long do you think the table is?

a ) used for saying or asking about the amount of time that something lasts:

2 hours/an hour etc. long: The trip was about an hour long.

how long...?: How long was the movie?

4. ) a long book, letter, report, etc. has a lot of pages

a ) a long list has a lot of things on it

b ) as long as your arm INFORMAL a list that is as long as your arm is very long:

He has a list of qualifications as long as your arm.

─ opposite SHORT

5. ) long dresses, pants, sleeves, etc. cover your arms or legs:

a shirt with long sleeves

She came down to dinner in a long skirt.

─ opposite SHORT

6. ) in sports, if a ball is long, you kick or hit it so it travels over a large distance, or you kick or hit it beyond a line

7. ) a long drink is one that is served in a tall glass

8. ) LINGUISTICS a long vowel is a vowel that is pronounced for a longer time than most other vowels

at long last

if something happens at long last, it happens after you have been waiting for it for a long time:

The train's here at long last.

go a long way

if you say someone will go a long way, you think they will be successful in their life or career: GO FAR

go a long way toward doing something

if something goes a long way toward doing something, it helps someone to achieve something:

The money raised will go a long way toward paying for Freddie's medical treatment.

have come a long way

to have achieved a lot of things and made progress:

Technology has come a long way since the days of telegrams.

have a long way to go

to need to do a lot more before you are successful:

We've raised $500 so far, but we still have a long way to go.

in the long run/term

not immediately but at some time in the future:

Cutting jobs could be more expensive in the long run if we have to hire freelancers.

it's a long story SPOKEN

used for saying that the answer to a particular question would be long and complicated:

Why was Martin wandering around the streets at 2 o'clock in the morning? It's a long story.

the long arm of the law

the power of the police and legal system, used for saying that they will usually catch people who commit a crime

long in the tooth HUMOROUS

rather old:

I'm a bit long in the tooth to be looking for a girlfriend.

long odds INFORMAL

if you say that it's long odds that something will happen, you mean that it is not very likely

long on something

having or doing too much of one thing:

a politician who is long on talk and short on action

a long shot INFORMAL

an attempt or guess that is not likely to be successful but that is worth trying:

It's a long shot, but I'll ask her.

long time no see SPOKEN

used when you meet someone you have not seen for a long time

not by a long shot INFORMAL

used for saying that something is not true at all:

They've achieved a lot, but they haven't finished yet not by a long shot.

not long for this world MAINLY LITERARY

likely to die soon

take a long hard look at someone/something

to think about a problem or issue very carefully in order to find out what is wrong or find a better way of dealing with it:

We should take a long hard look at the way we deal with refugees in this country.

take the long view (of something)

to think about the effects that something will have in the future rather than worrying about the present situation

to make/cut a long story short

used for saying that you will tell the end or the main point of a story without giving all the details:

To make a long story short, we both spent the night in jail.

long

long 2 [ lɔŋ ] adverb ***

1. ) for a long period of time:

I hope you haven't been waiting long.

People are living longer nowadays.

Smoking has long been linked to lung cancer.

He wanted to stay as long as he could.

Their relationship didn't last long.

2. ) much earlier or later than a particular event or period:

long before: I knew her long before she became famous.

long after: I was born long after my parents got married.

long ago: I should have ended the relationship long ago.

long since: The time for negotiations has long since passed.

all day/year/week etc. long

for the whole day/year/week etc.:

I don't think I could take care of children all day long.

as/so long as

used before saying the conditions that will make something else happen or be true:

My parents don't care what I work at as long as I'm happy.

be long always in negatives or questions

used for saying or asking whether you will have to wait a long time for someone or something to be ready, arrive, or happen:

Will you be long, or would you like me to wait?

I'm just going to the store I won't be long.

Dinner won't be long now.

long live someone/something

used for expressing your support for or loyalty to someone or something

no longer/not any longer

used when something happened or was true in the past but is not true now:

He no longer plays in an orchestra.

so long INFORMAL

used for saying goodbye

long

long 3 [ lɔŋ ] noun uncount usually in negatives or questions *

a long period of time:

It didn't take long to get there.

It wasn't long before I realized I'd made a mistake.

a. before long soon:

She joined the company in 1995, and before long she was promoted to sales manager.

b. for long for a long period of time:

Have you been married for long?

I haven't known them for long.

the long and the short of it

used for saying that you will tell someone a long and complicated story very quickly and simply:

Well, the long and the short of it is that they got divorced last year.

long

long 4 [ lɔŋ ] verb intransitive *

to want something very much:

long for: It was freezing outside, and Marcia longed for a hot drink.

This was the excitement that she had secretly longed for.

long (for someone) to do something: I was tired and was longing for her to leave.

She longed to see him again.

a. long for someone LITERARY to want to be with someone you love, especially when this is not likely to happen soon