10 Better Ways to Say “Take a Long Time” (Synonyms)

Sometimes, we can’t control how long something takes. If something is due to take a while, you might want to come up with a few phrases and synonyms to demonstrate this. This article will explore some of the best alternatives you can use to “take a long time.”

Other ways to say “take a long time” are “take all day,” “take a while,” and “take too long.” These are the most common ways that people refer to something taking longer than they’d like. One of these phrases will be used if someone has to wait for a long time.

1. Take All Day

“Take all day” is a great way to emphasize how long something will take. It shows that you have to wait a full day (or longer) when you want something to finish.

Generally, “take all day” is an exaggeration that people use. It doesn’t mean that something has to take a full day before finishing. It just means that something takes longer than you’re willing to wait for.

• This is going to take all day, so I don’t expect you to wait around. I’m sorry that it’s such a difficult time right now.
• I think it’ll take all day. If you have something better to do, I suggest doing it. You’ll be waiting forever, otherwise.
• It takes all day to get from here to San Francisco. I’m not going to make the journey unless I know something is waiting for me.

2. Take A While

“Take a while” is a great synonym that shows you’re going to be waiting around for a long time. “A while” is used here to show that you have to wait for something to finish.

“A while” is an indefinite period as well. There is no specific way to know how long “a while” might be, which is what makes this phrase useful when you’re trying to show how long something might take.

Technically, it could take somewhere between five minutes and five days, depending on what the situation is.

• I heard that it takes a while, but I’m still ready to commit to the effort. If you’d like to come with me, let me know!
• They said it would take a while, so we have a few hours to kill now while we’re waiting for everything to sort itself out.
• They are going to take a while. They haven’t even left yet, so it’s best not to ask them for an ETA.

3. Takes Too Long

“Takes too long” is a great choice. It shows that something is making you wait for longer than you’re comfortable with. “Too long” implies that you do not like having to wait, which is why it’s such a good choice if you want to show your annoyance.

If you don’t mind waiting, “takes too long” isn’t the best choice. “Too” is an adverb that stresses “long” here, showing that you’re not happy about the wait.

• No way. All of this takes too long for me. I just want to get out of the house for a bit and see what else is out there.
• It takes too long, and I don’t have all day. I really wish we didn’t have to do all of these things right now.
• It’s going to take too long, and we don’t have time to waste. We can’t just keep expecting these things to work in our favor.

4. Will Require Patience

“Will require patience” is a formal way to show that someone will have to wait for something to happen. It works best when you know that someone isn’t very patient, as you are encouraging them to be patient and wait around for something to happen.

• I’m pretty sure this will require patience from everyone involved. It’s not going to happen overnight, so we’ll have to wait for it.
• It will require patience from you, I’m afraid. These things don’t happen quickly. Just wait a little bit before it’s all done.
• I’m going to say this; it will require patience. You can’t rush these issues if you want them to be resolved effectively.

5. Takes Time

“Takes time” is a great choice you can use in many situations. “Takes time” shows that you will have to wait around for something to happen because it takes up a lot of time.

If you want a slightly more informal option, you may also use “takes its time.” It’s common for “its” to come between the words to personify something and show that it takes a while to complete.

• I hear that it takes time to complete, and that’s okay with me. It’s not like I have anything to do while I’m waiting.
• Oh, it’ll take time. It’s clear that we’re locked into waiting around for this for a few hours. What do you want to do?
• I’m sorry that it’s taking time. If I could speed the process up, I would. I’m afraid it’s not that simple, though.

6. Is a Slow Process

“Is a slow process” works when you are expecting something to take a while. “Slow process” works well here to show that you know it’s going to be a long time before something is completed.

It encourages someone to wait around because you know it’ll take a while. Some things simply take longer than others, so it’s best to wait for them to finish rather than getting impatient.

• It’s a slow process, and we can do nothing to make it go quicker. You’ll have to wait around for a bit.
• It is a slow process. I’ve heard about this before, and I know that it’s going to take a few days before we get any results.
• Don’t rush it. It’s a slow process. You need to be ready to take it when the time comes, but you will be waiting for a long time.

7. You’ll Have to Wait

“You’ll have to wait” is a simple way to encourage someone to wait for something. If something takes a while, “you’ll have to wait” lets someone know that they’re going to have to wait around.

Generally, this phrase works best when there’s nothing you can do to speed up the situation. If someone is getting restless, waiting for something to happen, you can try and calm them down with this phrase.

• You’ll have to wait before you can move to the next section. I’m afraid there are some things you need to do before you can move.
• I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait. Is there anything specific you’d like to do while you’re waiting for all of this to finish?
• You’ll have to wait, man. It’s not easy to do all of this. I appreciate that times are desperate, but I can’t speed this up.

8. Is Long

“Is long” is a simple alternative you can use. It shows that something is “long,” which implies that it’ll take a lot of time. “Long” here refers to a period of time rather than the length or distance of something.

It’s slightly informal to use “long” to talk about something that takes a while. It’s a good choice, but you should stick to using it colloquially.

• I know it’s long, but I’m hoping it’ll be worth it. I just want you to understand that these things take time.
• It’s a long process, but it’s almost done. You’ve been so patient up till now. Please, just give me a little longer to sort this out.
• It’s long, and I’m trying my best. I think you’ll still have to wait for another few hours before I have any positive results, though.

9. Is Slow

“Is slow” is a slightly more formal option than “is long” because “slow” is more commonly attributed to time. It’s a good choice to show that something will take a while because it is a slow process.

• Okay, I get it is slow, but that doesn’t mean I can speed it up. It’s moving as fast as it can already. Sorry about that.
• It’s quite slow, so we’ll be waiting around for a while. I hope you don’t mind my company while we wait.
• It’s slow. There’s nothing wrong with that, as I have a few things I need to work on. I totally understand if you don’t want to wait.

10. Takes Ages

“Takes ages” is a great informal synonym you can use. If something takes ages, you have to wait for a while. It’s mainly used when you are not happy about waiting.

It’s a negative sentence, as “takes ages” implies that you are not having a good time while waiting for something to finish.

• It’s going to take ages because they didn’t put the necessary protocols into action. I’m sorry, but we’ll be waiting a while.
• I heard that this process takes ages. It feels like I’ve already been waiting days! I hope things start to speed up.
• I know it’s going to take ages, but I don’t know what to do about it! I can only wait around for so long, you know.