lasting several hours

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "lasting several hours" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe the duration of an event, activity, or phenomenon that continues for multiple hours. Example: "The meeting was lengthy, lasting several hours, which made it difficult for everyone to stay focused."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

After an exhaustive debate lasting several hours, we radicals won.

Harvard Business Review

Boko Haram captured the town on Thursday after a battle lasting several hours.

The Guardian

In recent weeks, the region has been hit by power failures lasting several hours each day.

The New York Times

A legacy of the accident was epileptic seizures capable of lasting several hours.

Independent

After security officials entered the university, a gun battle lasting several hours took place.

Independent

These oscillations have cycles lasting several hours to a day, and the cycles repeat again and again for many days.

Yale University

The other day, a Twitter outage lasting several hours prevented users from accessing their accounts, leading one HuffingtonPost writer to pen a satirical obituary.

The New Yorker

Hundreds of Palestinians today hurled stones and bottles at Israeli troops, who fired back with rubber bullets in a clash lasting several hours.

The New York Times

Over the last few weeks I have had problems accessing ModelDB on at least three separate occasions lasting several hours or even days.

Yale University

True, solar can be more reliable than the grid in some developing countries where daily outages lasting several hours are the norm.

University of California, Berkeley

Two insurgents were killed and three members of the Afghan security forces were wounded in a gunfight lasting several hours, officials said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To make the sentence more dynamic you can use "spanning multiple hours" instead of "lasting several hours".

Common error

Be specific; avoid vague phrases like "a while" when "lasting several hours" provides clearer context. This improves clarity and avoids misinterpretation of the time duration.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lasting several hours" functions as an adjectival phrase modifying a noun. It describes the duration of an event, activity, or condition. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature in English, as evidenced by numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

25%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "lasting several hours" is a grammatically sound and frequently used way to describe an event or activity's duration. According to Ludwig AI, it's widely accepted and appears across diverse contexts, from news and media to scientific and academic writing. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by being specific about the time frame and avoiding vague alternatives. Remember that alternative phrases, such as "spanning multiple hours", can add variety to your writing while maintaining accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

spanning multiple hours

Emphasizes the extent of time covered.

continuing for several hours

Highlights the ongoing nature of the duration.

extending over several hours

Similar to 'spanning', focuses on the length of time.

enduring for a few hours

Suggests a sense of persistence or tolerance over the time.

going on for several hours

Informal way to describe a duration.

taking several hours

Focuses on the time consumed by an activity or event.

occupying several hours

Indicates that something fills or uses up that amount of time.

consuming multiple hours

Similar to 'occupying', highlighting resource usage.

a few hours in duration

More formal way to specify a time period.

hours-long

Concise, adjectival form to describe the length.

FAQs

What does "lasting several hours" mean?

The phrase "lasting several hours" indicates that something continues or endures for a period of multiple hours, typically more than two but not exceeding an entire day. It provides a general sense of duration without specifying an exact time.

How can I rephrase "lasting several hours" in a formal context?

In formal contexts, you can use phrases such as "spanning multiple hours" or "extending over several hours" to convey a similar meaning with a more professional tone.

Is it better to say "lasting several hours" or "lasting for several hours"?

Both "lasting several hours" and "lasting for several hours" are grammatically correct and widely accepted. However, "lasting several hours" is often considered more concise and stylistically preferable, particularly in formal writing.

What are some common things that might be described as "lasting several hours"?

Many events, activities, or conditions can be described as "lasting several hours", including meetings, battles, power outages, seizures, rescue operations, and weather phenomena such as "thunderstorms".