longdrawn

Longdrawn is an English adjective meaning extended in duration or drawn out, often with connotations of tediousness or protraction. It is an uncommon, nonstandard variant of the more widely used long-drawn-out, and is rarely encountered in contemporary writing.

Usage and form. In modern style, the preferred form is long-drawn-out, a hyphenated compound that clearly signals the combined sense of length and drawn-out progression. The single-word longdrawn is chiefly found in older texts or in dialectal contexts and is generally considered nonstandard by major dictionaries and editors. When encountered, longdrawn may be used attributively before a noun (for example, a longdrawn dispute) in older or stylistically marked passages, but this usage is uncommon and can be distracting to readers.

Etymology and relation to related terms. Longdrawn derives from the combination of long and drawn (the past participle of draw), functioning as an intensified form of drawn-out. It shares its meaning with related phrases such as drawn-out, protracted, and elongated. The evolution of English hyphenation conventions has favored the more explicit long-drawn-out in printed standards, while longdrawn remains a historical or stylistic variant.

See also. Drawn-out; long-drawn-out; protracted; elongated; English hyphenation conventions.