protract

American  

[proh-trakt, pruh-] / proʊˈtrækt, prə- /

verb (used with object)

• protracts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• protracted,
  past participle,  past
• protracting
  present participle

1. to draw out or lengthen, especially in time; extend the duration of; prolong.

   Synonyms:

   continue

   Antonyms:

   curtail

2. Anatomy. to extend or protrude.

3. (in surveying, mathematics, etc.) to plot and draw (lines) with a scale and a protractor.

---

protract British  

/ prəˈtrækt /

verb

1. to lengthen or extend (a speech, etc); prolong in time

2. (of a muscle) to draw, thrust, or extend (a part, etc) forwards

3. to plot or draw using a protractor and scale

---

Synonym Usage

See lengthen.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• protractedness
  noun
• overprotract
  verb (used with object)
• protractible
  adjective
• protractive
  adjective
• unprotracted
  adjective
• unprotractive
  adjective
• protractedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• protracting
  present
• protracted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• protract
  simple
• protracts
  simple
• have protracted
  perfect
• has protracted
  perfect
• am protracting
  progressive
• are protracting
  progressive
• is protracting
  progressive
• have been protracting
  perfect progressive
• has been protracting
  perfect progressive

Past

• protracted
  simple
• had protracted
  perfect
• was protracting
  progressive
• were protracting
  progressive
• had been protracting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will protract
  simple
• will have protracted
  perfect
• will be protracting
  progressive
• will have been protracting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of protract

First recorded in 1540–50, protract is from the Latin word prōtractus (past participle of prōtrahere “to draw forth, prolong”). See pro- ¹, tract ¹

Explanation

To protract something is to stretch it out. If you have a disagreement with a friend that you continue for weeks and weeks, you are protracting the argument. Protract can also mean to draw a plan to scale. Basically when you protract something, you draw it out. You may remember from geometry that a protractor is a device used to draw exact angles. A protractor allows you to protract a plan for the perfect catapult — perfect to use to end a protracted battle.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

protract protracts protracted protracting

They ruled that the medical support “serves only to protract his death, whilst being unable to prolong his life,” according to court documents.

From New York Times ● Aug. 6, 2022

The judges agreed with a lower court that continuing treatment “serves only to protract his death.”

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2022

Last week, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that continued treatment was "futile" and that it "serves only to protract his death, whilst being unable to prolong his life".

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2022

Associated Newspapers "have a right to this trial, and I think that that is just going to protract the pain for Meghan Markle," Stephens said.

From Fox News ● Dec. 2, 2021

I brushed the lever lightly, listening as the hydraulic cylinders hissed softly to protract.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

The episodic nature of the work protracts the ending.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2023

“If the conflict protracts, the Ukrainians have more leverage to be able to negotiate,” Watling said.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2022

What distinguishes this pandemic as a traumatic experience, she said, is that no one knows when it will end, which protracts anxiety.

From New York Times ● May 16, 2020

Matthew Warchus's revival protracts the overall experience to three hours... at least a small part of this excess is attributable to the meal Spall makes of his lines.

From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2016

"As you will," said his lady, throwing herself carelessly back upon the seat; "but methinks the worthy father protracts this discourse, till it becomes of a nature more trifling than interesting."

From Waverley Novels — Volume 12 by Sir Walter Scott

With the market closed until January, the club are now in the process of finalising an agreement with manager Mikel Arteta over his protracted new contract.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

“With inflation above target for a protracted period, there is a risk of broader price pressures taking hold,” Fed governor Michael Barr said last week.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

“It’s a long, protracted process. We’re not going to see companies flood the road with thousands of autonomous trucks tomorrow.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

But after protracted and public negotiations to agree on a new contract to use the AI models in a military setting failed, Anthropic found itself in the Pentagon’s crosshairs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

It was broken only by the sound of Franny blowing her nose—an abandoned, protracted, “congested” blow, suggestive of a patient with a four-day-old head cold.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

It’s good that the bar at Itsumono is a fine hangout, because as the place fills up you will hang out, with waits between drinks protracting even with two barkeeps at work.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 2, 2023

And it is worse than useless for both to continue protracting the argument, when they know that the opinion of neither will be shaken.

From The Ladies' Guide to True Politeness and Perfect Manners or, Miss Leslie's Behaviour Book by Eliza Leslie

“I am already half drowned, and it is only protracting my sufferings.”

From Thrilling Narratives of Mutiny, Murder and Piracy A weird series of tales of shipwreck and disaster, from the earliest part of the century to the present time, with accounts of providential escapes and heart-rending fatalities. by Anonymous

I suggest that we gain nothing by protracting this scene in the face of a crowded assembly.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 20 (of 25) by Robert Louis Stevenson

Expedients were accordingly found, without actually encouraging his hopes, for protracting the negotiation till a peace was concluded with France and with Scotland, and finally of declining the marriage without a breach of amity.

From Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth by Lucy Aikin

Related Words

• prolong
• put off