Demorou

Demorou is a common expression in Portuguese, particularly in Brazilian Portuguese. It derives from the verb demorar and is most often heard as the preterite form demorou ('he/she/it took long'), but it is widely used as an interjection. In that function it signals impatience or relief when something that was waiting for finally happens, roughly equivalent to 'took you long enough' or 'about time.' It can also appear within a sentence to mean 'it took you long to respond' (Demorou pra você responder).

Usage and tone: As an interjection, Demorou is informal and frequent in conversation, social media, memes, and casual media. The tone can be playful, sarcastic, or mildly admonishing, depending on context and delivery. It is not typical in formal writing. The question form 'Demorou?' asks whether something took long, whereas the exclamatory 'Demorou!' confirms that the wait is over.

Regional note and variants: While widely used in Brazilian Portuguese, the word and its sense are understood in other Portuguese varieties, with some regional nuance in tone and formality. In European Portuguese, the same term can appear with similar meaning, though usage tends to be slightly less frequent in literal exclamations.

See also: demorar; Brazilian Portuguese; Portuguese language.