protracted
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of protracted
First recorded in 1590–1600; protract ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Something protracted has been drawn out, usually in a tedious way. Protracted things are long and seem like they're never going to end. Anything protracted is lasting longer than you would like. A speech that seems to go on forever is protracted. If an employer and a union can't reach an agreement, there could be a protracted strike. Before a movie, the previews are almost always protracted — they never seem to stop. If something is long and annoying, and there's no good reason it couldn't be shorter, it's protracted.
Vocabulary lists containing protracted
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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This Week in Words: August 10–16, 2019
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And Then There Were None
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet, in these cases, the great powers had to give up because of protracted, painful insurgencies that followed conventional military victories and eventually sapped domestic support for war.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
"This is likely to be a protracted incident, with crews remaining on scene into the morning," Bloomfield added.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
“It’s too early to say if this is simply a mild bout of profit-taking, or a harbinger of a more protracted and deeper retreat,” said David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
"Physiological recovery from oxygen debt is more protracted, complex, and occurs over much longer timescales than previously understood, with the elevated heart rate on land likely helping to support a delayed recovery," concluded Walker.
From Science Daily • May 9, 2026
Another pause, more protracted, and then — “Without Harry Potter?” breathed the second voice softly.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
