enormously long time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "enormously long time" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize the length of a duration, often in a context where the time span feels excessive or significant. Example: "Waiting for the bus felt like an enormously long time, especially in the cold weather."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This was the Swedish film-maker Roy Andersson, whose poignant and hilarious movies - like a hypnotic succession of sumptuously mounted Beckettian tableaux - take him an enormously long time to fund and produce.

The Guardian - Film

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

These alternative strategies have important implications for the adaptive radiation of filamentous cyanobacteria and at least partially account for their evolutionary success in a multitude of environments over enormously long time-scales.

Plosone

The enormously long residence time in Xe1 clearly proved that the CO in L29W had no alternative pathway available to leave the Xe1 cavity, at least on time scales relevant for the ligand binding reaction.

F1000Research

Moreover, they show that the transition time between this fractious regime FR to the stochastically stable state EQ can be enormously long and this time grows exponentially with the number of agents and their memory length -i.e in their terminology: ergodicity is broken.

Plosone

Lyell's theory of uniformitarianism and his interpretation of geologic change as the steady accumulation of minute changes over enormously long spans of time was a central theme in the Principles, and a powerful influence on the young Charles Darwin.

Wikipedia

Nacarat, according to George, has "changed enormously, physically, after taking a long time to fill his frame.

The Guardian - Sport

Charlotte Rampling: First of all because of Alan Parker, who is a friend, I've known him a long time and I admire him enormously, and then it was Mickey Rourke, and then it was the fascinating screenplay and it became irresistible.

The Guardian - Film

Read a full review 21 Angel Olsen's third album is immediately and enormously enjoyable, but also one that might take a long time to fully absorb.

The Guardian - Music

Angel Olsen's third album is immediately and enormously enjoyable, but also one that might take a long time to fully absorb.

The Guardian - Music

Instantly recognisable, yet at the same time oddly unfamiliar, it lifted its neck and flicked an enormously long tail, before melting into the vegetation, never to be seen again.

The Guardian

Plant psychotropics that have been around a long time do have their risks, but these pale in comparison to the enormously more powerful synthetics developed by the drug company labs and drug cartel labs.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "enormously long time" to emphasize that something requires or has taken a particularly extensive duration, surpassing typical expectations. It adds weight to the description of the time period.

Common error

While "enormously long time" is acceptable, avoid overuse in highly formal writing. Opt for more precise or professional alternatives like "protracted period" or "extended duration" for a more polished tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "enormously long time" functions as an adverbial modifier emphasizing the duration of an event or process. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and used to describe a period that feels exceptionally extended.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

33%

Encyclopedias

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

6%

Reference

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "enormously long time" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to emphasize an extensive duration. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is appropriate for many contexts, though might benefit from being replaced with synonyms in formal writing. Analysis of its usage reveals prevalence across news, scientific publications and encyclopedias. When aiming for precision or formality, consider alternatives like "extended period" or "protracted duration". Despite being grammatically acceptable, remember that the emphasis added by "enormously" might not always be necessary or desirable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

inordinately long time

Implies that the time is longer than what is considered reasonable or normal.

exceptionally long period

Replaces "enormously" with "exceptionally", indicating a deviation from the norm.

remarkably long period

Emphasizes that the duration is worthy of attention due to its length.

considerable length of time

Substitutes "enormously" with "considerable", reducing the emphasis on the extent of the duration.

very lengthy time

Uses simpler terms to express the idea of a considerable duration.

very extended period

Replaces "enormously long" with "very extended", altering the intensity of the length.

markedly long time

Emphasizes that the length of time is noticeable or distinct.

protracted duration

Uses more formal vocabulary to convey a similar meaning of a long-lasting period.

extended timeframe

Focuses on the 'timeframe' aspect, highlighting the period in which something occurs.

significant duration

Highlights the importance of the length of time, rather than just the length itself.

FAQs

How can I use "enormously long time" in a sentence?

You can use "enormously long time" to describe durations that are perceived as excessively long. For example: "Waiting for the test results felt like an "enormously long time"."

What's a more formal alternative to "enormously long time"?

For more formal contexts, consider using alternatives like "protracted duration" or "extended period" which offer a similar meaning but with a more professional tone.

Is "enormously long time" appropriate for academic writing?

While grammatically correct, "enormously long time" may be considered less precise for academic writing. Alternatives like "extended timeframe" or "significant duration" could be more suitable.

How does "enormously long time" differ from "very long time"?

"Enormously long time" emphasizes the excessive nature of the duration more strongly than "very long time". "Enormously" adds a greater sense of magnitude and impact.