over·long
ˌō-vər-ˈlȯŋ 
: 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
Randy Cordova
: for an excessively long time
The meeting ran overlong.
… aircraft were kept waiting overlong on boiling hot runways.—Ted Conover
Ted ConoverIf a person talks on overlong, people around the circle began to discreetly cough.—Thom Hartmann
Thom HartmannExamples of overlong in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
For instance, while most of the movie is about the title character, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor played by Emma Mackey, there is an overlong subplot about Ella’s younger brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), that encapsulates the tonal dysfunction of the movie.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Musically, Swift’s pivot toward concision feels like a response to claims that her last album was repetitive and overlong.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Their new collaboration is more satisfying than that uneven and overlong puzzle box, not to mention more readily coherent as a narrative.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Yet the historical resonance falls flat amid the film’s overlong runtime, unlikable characters and shaky accents that most actors stumble in and out of.
—Itzel Luna, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
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
To make a heading cut, find an overlong main stem.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
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Adjective
The pacing is overlong, removing much of the tension and excitement that make thrillers so fascinating to watch.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
For instance, while most of the movie is about the title character, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor played by Emma Mackey, there is an overlong subplot about Ella’s younger brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), that encapsulates the tonal dysfunction of the movie.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Musically, Swift’s pivot toward concision feels like a response to claims that her last album was repetitive and overlong.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Their new collaboration is more satisfying than that uneven and overlong puzzle box, not to mention more readily coherent as a narrative.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
Yet the historical resonance falls flat amid the film’s overlong runtime, unlikable characters and shaky accents that most actors stumble in and out of.
—Itzel Luna, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
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
To make a heading cut, find an overlong main stem.
—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overlong. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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