What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
protracting
Example
The meeting was protracted due to the many questions asked. [protracted: adjective]
Example
She protracted the project by adding unnecessary steps. [protracted: verb]
prolong
Example
The medicine helped to prolong his life. [prolong: verb]
Example
The rain prolonged our stay at the park. [prolonged: past tense]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Prolong is more commonly used than protracting in everyday language. Prolong is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while protracting is less common and often used in specific technical or academic contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between protracting and prolong?
Both protracting and prolong can be used in formal or informal contexts, but protracting is often used as an adjective and may be more formal in that context.
