prolong

English

Etymology

Either a back-formation from prolongation, or from Old French prolonguer or porloignier, from Latin prōlongō, from prō + longō. Doublet of purloin.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɹoʊˈlɔŋ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɹəʊˈlɒŋ/

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• (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /pɹoʊˈlɑŋ/
• Rhymes: -ɒŋ
• Hyphenation: pro‧long

Verb

prolong (third-person singular simple present prolongs, present participle prolonging, simple past and past participle prolonged)

1. (transitive) To extend in space or length.
2. (transitive) To lengthen in time; to extend the duration of

   Synonym: draw out

   Complaining prolongs one’s pain.

   • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:

     The departure was not unduly prolonged. In the road Mr. Love and the driver favoured the company with a brief chanty running. “Got it?—No, I ain't, 'old on,—Got it? Got it?—No, 'old on sir.”

3. (transitive) To put off to a distant time; to postpone.

   The government shouldn't prolong deciding on this issue any further.

4. (intransitive) To become longer; lengthen.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• prolongable
• prolongation
• prolonger
• prolongment

Translations

to extend in space or length

• Arabic: أَطَالَ‎ (ʔaṭāla)
• Armenian: երկարացնել (hy) (erkaracʿnel)
• Bulgarian: удължавам (bg) (udǎlžavam)
• Czech: prodloužit (cs) pf, zvětšit (cs) pf
• Esperanto: vastigi
• Estonian: pikendama
• Finnish: pidentää (fi), jatkaa (fi), venyttää (fi)
• French: prolonger (fr)
• Galician: prolongar (gl)
• Georgian: დაგრძელება (dagrʒeleba)
• German: ausdehnen (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: μακρύνω (makrúnō)

• Hungarian: meghosszabbít (hu)
• Maori: whakaroa
• Portuguese: prolongar (pt)
• Romanian: prelungi (ro), lungi (ro), alungi (ro), extinde (ro)
• Russian: продлева́ть (ru) impf (prodlevátʹ), продли́ть (ru) pf (prodlítʹ)
• Spanish: prolongar (es)
• Swedish: förlänga (sv)
• Tagalog: ipadayon
• Telugu: పొడిగించు (te) (poḍigiñcu)

to lengthen in time; to extend the duration of; to draw out; to continue

• Arabic: أَطَالَ‎ (ʔaṭāla)
• Armenian: երկարաձգել (hy) (erkarajgel)
• Catalan: perllongar (ca), prolongar (ca)
• Czech: prodloužit (cs) pf
• Dutch: bestendigen (nl)
• Esperanto: longigi
• Estonian: pikendama
• Finnish: pidentää (fi), jatkaa (fi), pitkittää, venyttää (fi)
• Georgian: გახანგრძლივება (gaxangrʒliveba)
• German: verlängern (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: μακρύνω (makrúnō)

• Latin: prōrogō, protraho
• Maori: aukume, whakaupa, autō, whakaupaupa
• Portuguese: prolongar (pt)
• Romanian: prelungi (ro)
• Russian: продлева́ть (ru) impf (prodlevátʹ), продли́ть (ru) pf (prodlítʹ)
• Spanish: prolongar (es)
• Swedish: förlänga (sv)

to lengthen; to put off to a distant time; to postpone

• Bulgarian: отлагам (bg) (otlagam)
• Czech: odkládat (cs) impf
• Esperanto: prokrasti
• Estonian: edasi lükkama
• Finnish: pidentää (fi), venyttää (fi), pitkittää
• German: hinauszögern (de)
• Hungarian: elhalaszt (hu)
• Maori: tinaku, whakaupa, whakaupaupa
• Portuguese: adiar (pt)
• Romanian: amâna (ro)
• Russian: откла́дывать (ru) impf (otkládyvatʹ), отложи́ть (ru) pf (otložítʹ)
• Swedish: skjuta upp (sv)

References

• “prolong”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “prolong”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.