protracted

«protracted» in Mova's school dictionary: Lasting a long time, often longer than expected or wanted — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

adjective (protracted)

meaning for a pupil

1) Lasting a long time, often longer than expected or wanted. tree →

2) (verb form) Past of «protract», to make something last longer. tree →

sense in the lessons

News and formal writing: «a protracted illness», «protracted talks», «a protracted war». In maths, a «protractor» measures angles — a different meaning from the same root (drawing out). Phrases: «a protracted struggle», «protracted negotiations».

examples

• After protracted talks, the teachers agreed a deal. tree →
• Grandpa recovered from a protracted illness. tree →
• The protracted rain ruined our camping trip. tree →
• The two countries fought a protracted war. tree →
• The meeting was protracted and boring. tree →
• The protracted argument went on all afternoon. tree →
• In vain she tried to tear the robe away; it defied all efforts to be removed, and after horrible and protracted sufferings, she expired. tree →

note

Formal; everyday words are «long» or «drawn-out». Usually about something unpleasant. Not to be confused with «protractor», the tool for measuring angles in degrees.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «protracted» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.