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overlong

overlong

3 4.2
Longer than needed or wanted
  • adjective
  • /ˈoʊvərlɔŋ/
translation icon : demasiado largo
  • She found the overlong lecture difficult to focus on and wished it had been shorter.
  • overlong sleeves
  • overlong wait
  • overlong arms

Examples

  • But during an overlong all-ages show, it's a tool for bored youths to annoy those around them.

    Blog text (33)
  • The movie was enjoyable, but it felt a bit overlong at nearly three hours.

  • You have to lump some things together, else you end up with an overlong list of categories.

    Blog text (19)
  • Are you prepared for an overlong, sometimes maddening film experience?

    Blog text (1)
  • His hair was nearly black, overlong, and brushed straight back from his high forehead.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The AC games are notoriously bad for overlong tutorials.

    Blog text (26)
  • Some critics found it definitive (it was) and magisterial (well, maybe), while others thought it overlong and overstuffed.

    Academic text (2016)
  • The speech was vintage Clinton, overlong for sure, insults delivered with a folksy grin, references to his own time.

    Blog text (7)
  • Your new film in an overlong-running franchise: this Batman/Bond has the darkness, edginess, and grit of the original.

    Blog text (2)
  • They decided to trim the overlong report down to its most essential points.

Synonyms

long
vsoverlong
1.0

Greater than usual in length, time or amount

adds the idea of being unnecessarily excessive or unwanted
lengthy
vsoverlong
109 3.5

Lasting a long time and making people bored

is longer than required but not always described as tedious
prolonged
vsoverlong
69 3.9

Continuing for a longer time than usual

is longer than needed with focus on exceeding expected time
drawn-out
vsoverlong
15 4.6

Lasting longer than needed and feeling tiring

is longer than necessary without stressing the tedious quality
extended
vsoverlong
11 4.0

Lasting longer than usual

is longer than necessary but may be planned rather than accidental

Antonyms

1.0

Not long in distance, height, or time

587 2.0

Using few words or lasting only a short time

37 4.2

Using few words to give important information clearly

How Long

endless
350 2.5
overlong
3 4.2
long
  • Specialized
225 4.9
short
1.0

Surface Forms

overlong positive
overlonger comparative
overlongest superlative

Morphology

overlong = long (transparent) = over + long

Clear combination of the productive prefix 'over-' meaning 'excessively' and the adjective 'long', yielding 'too long'.

Etymology

Overlong is made from over meaning 'too much' and long meaning 'lasting a long time'. So, overlong literally means 'too long' and is used for something that is longer than necessary or desirable.