long
- 01 A1 Beginner
adj.having a great distance from one end to the other.
adj.measuring a great distance from end to end; having considerable spatial extent.
Simple“The river is very long and flows through several different countries.”
In context“The hikers followed a long, winding trail that stretched across the entire mountain range before descending into the valley.”
UsageUsually placed before a noun or after a linking verb like 'be'.
- 02 A1 Beginner
adj.lasting for a lot of time.
adj.having a great duration; extending over a significant period of time.
Simple“We had a long meeting this morning to discuss the new project.”
In context“After a long and exhausting negotiation, the two companies finally reached an agreement late last night.”
- 03 A1 Beginner
adv.for a great amount of time.
adv.for an extended period; often used in questions or negative sentences.
Simple“Have you been waiting long for the bus to arrive?”
In context“The ancient ruins had long been forgotten by the local population until a team of archaeologists rediscovered them in the 1920s.”
UsageIn affirmative statements, 'for a long time' is more common than 'long' alone.
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to want something very much, especially if it is difficult to get.
v.to have an intense desire or yearning for something, especially something distant or unattainable.
Simple“After months of cold weather, she longed for the warm days of summer.”
In context“The exiled poet longed to return to his homeland, though he knew the political situation made it impossible.”
UsageIntransitive verb; typically takes the preposition 'for' or an infinitive 'to' phrase.
Teacher's tipThis verb carries a strong emotional weight; it is more poetic and intense than 'want' or 'wish'.
- 05 C1 Advanced
adj.buying something like stocks because you think the price will go up.
adj.holding a financial position that profits from an increase in the price of an asset.
Simple“He decided to go long on gold because he expected prices to rise.”
In context“The fund manager maintained a long position in renewable energy stocks, betting on a shift in government policy.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'to be long' or 'to go long' on an asset.
Antonyms - 06 C1 Advanced
adj.something that is boring or takes too much effort.
adj.describing a task or situation that is tedious, annoying, or requires an excessive amount of time.
Simple“Doing all this paperwork is so long.”
In context“I had to wait three hours for a reply, which was just long.”
UsageCommon in Multicultural London English (MLE) as a general term of frustration.
Teacher's tipThis is very informal and mostly used by younger speakers in the UK to mean 'too much effort'.
Usage long time · long enough · long periods