protrarre
to prolong
verb proh-TRAHR-reh Rare
Origin: From Latin protrahere (to draw forward), from pro- (forward) + trahere (to draw).
Also means
to drag out
Usage Note
Protrarre is an irregular verb belonging to the trarre family: it conjugates like trarre (protraggo, protrai, protrae…; past participle protratto). It is used in formal contexts to mean prolonging something beyond its expected end: la riunione si è protratta per ore (the meeting dragged on for hours). The reflexive protrarsi is very common.
Examples
"La conferenza si è protratta fino a tardi."
Natural Translation
The conference dragged on until late.
Related Words
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