at long last

phraseB2Not compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

At long last means finally, after far too much waiting. The relief is the whole point of the phrase.

It is more emphatic than simply at last, and it always carries impatience, so a repair completed at long last was overdue by a long way. It usually opens a sentence. There is a famous use in the American constitutional lawyer's question at a Senate hearing, which turned the phrase into a piece of history. Finally does the same job with less feeling attached.

Definitions of at long last

1phraseat long lastFinally, after a long and frustrating wait.B2
“At long last the paperwork came through.”

Practised in A Man Called Ove, Small Talk & Everyday Phrases

First appears in chapter 5 of A Man Called Ove.

Practise this word

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at long last

phraseB2Not compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

At long last means finally, after far too much waiting. The relief is the whole point of the phrase.

Definitions of at long last

1phraseat long lastFinally, after a long and frustrating wait.B2
“At long last the paperwork came through.”

Practised in A Man Called Ove, Small Talk & Everyday Phrases

First appears in chapter 5 of A Man Called Ove.

Practise this word