long time
∞
1.0
- noun
- He finally returned home after being away for a long time.
- take a long time
- a long time ago
- a very long time
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Watch on YouTubeLike, that sounds like a really long time to be doing this.
- Like, that sounds like a really long time to be doing this.
- OK, so she's been there for a long time for her clothes to rot.
- So he could live a very long time with good doctors.
- And this happened a long, long, long time ago.
- That's a sordid story that would take a very long time to untangle and explain.
- It's been a very long time since Big Momma has felt this.
- Like because we've been married a long time before then.
- OK, that took a really long time, but we are booted, which is good.
Examples
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It's been such a long time, Nate.
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Look, this has been coming for a long time now.
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And it's been a long time since I read anything about this.
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Like, that sounds like a really long time to be doing this.
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My first night out in such a long time.
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You know you cannot study for a long time without physical fitness.
Academic text (2015) -
I've been in this business a long time.
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The reunification process will take a long time, possibly several decades or more.
Academic text (1999) -
He's been a friend of ours for a long time.
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It has been such a long time since we took a vacation together.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A period that lasts much longer than usual
332
7.7
A very long time
63
4.7
A time that feels very long when you are waiting
19
2.8
A long time spent doing something
An old word for the length of time something lasts
A very long time that feels much longer than usual
Antonyms
How Long
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase 'long time' is directly compositional: 'long' (extended in duration) modifies 'time' (a period), so the meaning 'a prolonged period' is immediately derivable from the constituents. This adjective+noun pattern and the concept it expresses are cross-linguistically common and therefore readily understood by a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
The expression long time paints a simple picture: long means stretched out and time means hours or days, so imagine a very long road of days to walk. That's why it means 'a long period'.