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V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary


protracted

adjective

Definition: long in duration, or drawn out to be long in duration

Synonyms: prolonged, continued, lenghtened, extended, stretched

Antonyms: short, expedited, hurried

Tips: Protracted is derived from the the Latin word protractionem, which means "draw out or lengthen." It may be helpful to picture the protractors used to draw out angles in math. Think of drawing something out (with a protractor) at great length. Think of how long Geometry could take and how protracted (prolonged, lengthy) your homework would be when you had to use a protractor. The verb protract means "to prolong, draw out, drag out and extend in time, usually in excess." See prolong for additional analysis.

Usage Examples:

Many people left during his protracted speech. (lengthy, extended)

My protractor broke during the protracted geometry lesson. (lengthy, prolonged)

He developed a rash after protracted exposure to the chemicals. (prolonged)

The protracted court case went on for many months, suffering from multiple delays. (delayed, continuing, lengthy)


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