not long
The phrase "not long" is used to describe short durations or recent events, and has some idiomatic uses.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
A2General
A brief duration of time.
Example
- I will be back in not long.
- She has not been waiting for long.
B1General
(informal, UK)A short time ago.
Example
- I've not long finished my lunch.
- He moved here not long ago.
C1Idiomatic
(idiom)Expected to die soon.
Example
- The doctors said he is not long for this world.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "not long":
short timehow longlong timeshort termquite someshort viewhot minutesome time