longueur

Summary

---

Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: longueur

Date: June 20, 2026
Host: Peter Sokolowski

---

Episode Overview

This episode’s main theme is the word "longueur," a borrowing from French that describes those dull stretches in otherwise engaging books, plays, or other artistic works. The host, Peter Sokolowski, delves into the word’s meaning, its origins, a sample sentence, and its early appearances in English literature.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

What Does "Longueur" Mean?

• Definition:

  • (Noun): A boring or tedious part of something—such as a book or play—most often used in the plural *"longueurs."
  • Spelling: L O N G U E U R

• Example Sentence:

  • “Game three of the World Series was a stone cold thriller with peaks of high drama and longueurs of exquisitely tense tedium.”
    (00:51)

Origins and Linguistic Journey

• Etymology:

  • "Longueur" is borrowed from French, where it literally means “length.”
  • In both French and English, the word refers more specifically to tedious or drawn-out passages in creative works.

• Historical Usage:

  • Peter cites 18th-century writer Horace Walpole, who complained about the "woeful longueurs" in literary works.
    • Quote (at 01:20):
      • “Boswell’s book is gossiping, but there are woeful longueurs, both about his hero and himself.”
        — Horace Walpole

Commentary & Usage

• Relatability:
  • Many listeners will recognize the experience of encountering lengthy, dull passages in stories or performances, even if they never knew there was a specific word for it.
  • “You’ve probably come across long, tedious sections of books, plays or musical works before, but perhaps you didn’t know there was a word for them.” (00:54)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Relatability:

  • “You’ve probably come across long, tedious sections of books, plays or musical works before, but perhaps you didn’t know there was a word for them.”
    — Peter Sokolowski (00:54)

• On the French Borrowing:

  • “The French borrowing ‘longueur’ has been doing the job for us since the late 18th century.”
    — Peter Sokolowski (01:08)

• Historical Example:

  • “‘Boswell’s book is gossiping, but there are woeful longueurs, both about his hero and himself.’”
    — Horace Walpole, cited by Peter Sokolowski (01:20)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:33] – Introduction to the word “longueur”
• [00:40] – Spelling and part of speech
• [00:51] – Example usage in a sentence
• [00:54] – Discussion of the feeling of encountering longueurs
• [01:08] – Etymology and French origin
• [01:20] – Historical usage: Horace Walpole’s quote

---

Summary

In this concise yet enlightening episode, Peter Sokolowski introduces listeners to “longueur,” a word that perfectly encapsulates those all-too-familiar boring stretches in art and literature. With clear examples and fascinating historical tidbits, he shows how this French term became part of English literary vocabulary, and offers listeners a new addition to their expressive toolkit.

---

Visit Merriam-Webster.com for more word insights and trending lookups!

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. It's the word of the day for June 20th.

[B]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[A]

Today's word is longueur. Spelled L O N G U E U R Longur is a noun. It refers to a boring part of something, such as a book or play, and it's usually used in the plural form as longurs. Here's the word used in a sentence from the Atlantic Game three of the World Series was a stone cold thriller with peaks of high drama and longueurs of exquisitely tense tedium. You've probably come across long, tedious sections of books, plays or musical works before, but perhaps you didn't know there was a word for them. The French borrowing langeur has been doing the job for us since the late 18th century. As in English, French langurs are tedious passages, with langeur itself literally meaning length. An early example of langeur used in an English text is from 18th century writer Horace Walpole, who wrote in a letter, boswell's book is gossiping, but there are woeful langeurs, both about his hero and himself. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.

[C]

Visit Merriam Webster.com today for definitions, wordplay and trending word lookups.