overlong

1 of 2

adjective

over·​long ˌō-vər-ˈlȯŋ How to pronounce overlong (audio)
: longer than usual or necessary : excessively long
an overlong meeting/speech
overlong sleeves
an overlong chapter
working overlong hours
The film feels overlong and a bit repetitious …Randy Cordova

overlong

2 of 2

adverb

: for an excessively long time
The meeting ran overlong.
… aircraft were kept waiting overlong on boiling hot runways.Ted Conover
If a person talks on overlong, people around the circle began to discreetly cough.Thom Hartmann

Examples of overlong in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
That's not inherently a bad choice, but in this instance the overarching story feels both overlong and underwhelming as tiny pieces of the narrative are introduced without being fully explained. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025 And Dorian, despite the visual inventiveness on display, does go a bit overboard and overlong at times, particularly in a late, extended scene that makes use of pre-recorded outdoor footage that allows more than one Snook to race through a forest. Greg Evans, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025 The film feels overlong at nearly two hours, with repetitiveness settling in early. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025 The general consensus was that people were exhausted from thinking and talking about the tragedy — which is why the opening wasn’t overlong, and didn’t actually reference the fires. Michael Schneider, Variety, 3 Mar. 2025 The Green Mile, with its three-hours-plus run time, might as well be exhibit A for Hollywood’s myriad overlong, self-important Oscar-bait dramas. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025 To make a heading cut, find an overlong main stem. Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025 The minimal plot purports to endorse spartan storytelling but after a promising start the movie detours into an overlong flashback. The New York Times, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 As a beauty editor, I'm constantly confronted with the sight of beautiful, overlong Rapunzel manes. Anna Bader, Glamour, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overlong was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overlong. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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