protracted.

Continuing for a long time, often longer than expected, necessary, or desirable.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• protracted negotiations
• a protracted dispute
• a protracted legal battle
• a protracted recovery
• a protracted delay
• a protracted conflict

On the page

After protracted negotiations, the workers accepted an agreement that neither side considered ideal.

Her recovery proved more protracted than the family had expected.

A protracted silence followed his request, broken only by the hum of the refrigerator.

Usage notes

Adjective: protracted. Comparative more protracted; superlative most protracted, where comparing duration is natural. Used before a noun or after a linking verb: protracted negotiations; the dispute became protracted. Also the past tense and past participle of the related verb protract: protract, protracts, protracted, protracting. Those verbal forms are noted for recognition only; no separate protract or inflection entry is created, and the adjective has no independent verb inflections. Register: formal. Commonness: moderately common in formal writing and news; less common in casual conversation (dictionary-informed qualitative editorial estimate; not a measured frequency).