lengthen
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++length·en /ˈleŋθən/ verb [intransitive, transitive] LONGto make something longer or to become longer (使)延长，(使)加长 OPP shorten Can you lengthen this skirt for me? 你能不能帮我把这条裙子改长？ The days lengthened as summer approached. 随着夏天来临，白天变长了。 RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that something gets longer rather than lengthens: 在日常英语中，表示某物变长，人们一般说 get longer，而不说 lengthenThe days began to get longer. 白昼开始变长。→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
lengthen• He smiled and the creases at the corners of his eyes lengthened.• Shadows began to lengthen as the sun sank in the sky.• The crack seemed to open wider and lengthen before her eyes.• As afternoon drew on and the shadows lengthened, her fears increased.• There was plenty of room on the course and it was relatively easy to lengthen it enough to test the professionals.• The more lives lengthen, it seems certain, the more change happens.• Plans to lengthen military service from 15 to 18 months will also be scrapped if the talks succeed.• Again, you can lengthen or shorten the story by including or excluding the various parts, which are mostly self-contained.• But as the separation from her husband lengthened, she found herself becoming increasingly despondent.• This particular operation involves lengthening the Achilles tendon.• The only solution for this is to use a soldering iron to lengthen them!• Can you lengthen these pants for me?• We find out that days are lengthening, why April has fools and how to slow time to a stop.• He wore blue jeans, which had been lengthened with strips of denim.• Because the muscles are being lengthened, you may experience pain in them.length·en verb →REGISTER1ChineseSyllable
to something to become or longer Corpus make longer
lengthen
length‧en /ˈleŋθən/
verb [intransitive and transitive]
OPP shorten:
Can you lengthen this skirt for me?
The days lengthened as summer approached.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say that something gets longer rather than lengthens:
▪The days began to get longer.
▪ prolong to make something last longer: The issue divided the country and prolonged the civil war. | Successful treatment is prolonging people's lives. | No one wants to prolong the violence. | This would only prolong the unhappiness she felt.
▪lengthen to make something last longer than the usual time: They suggested lengthening the training period for new teachers. | New security measures have lengthened the time passengers spend in airports.
▪extend to make something that is coming to an end continue for a longer period of time – used especially about official arrangements such as contracts and visas: They agreed to extend his contract by a year. | The offer has been extended for a further fourteen days. | I applied to extend my visa.
▪drag something out to make a situation or event last longer than necessary: I wish they'd make a decision and not keep dragging it out. | Each side accused the other of dragging out the negotiations.
length‧en /ˈleŋθən/
verb [intransitive and transitive] Word Family: adverb: lengthwise, lengthways; adjective: lengthening, lengthy; verb: lengthen; noun: length
to make something longer or to become longer OPP shorten:
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say that something gets longer rather than lengthens:
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