adjective
time-consuming
TYME-kun-syoo-ming
Time-consuming (adjective) means taking a great deal of time to do, especially more than seems warranted. Example: “Checking every invoice by hand is accurate but painfully time-consuming.”
adjective
1
Taking a great deal of time to do, especially more than seems warranted.
"Checking every invoice by hand is accurate but painfully time-consuming."
"The process is not difficult, just time-consuming."
How to use time-consuming
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething that eats up a lot of your time.
When to use it
Neutral, common in business and academic writing. It carries a faint note of complaint — writers rarely call something time-consuming as a compliment.
Memory tip
It describes the activity, not the person: say "the report was time-consuming", not "I was time-consuming".
Easily confused with
Common pairings
time-consuming task
time-consuming process
expensive and time-consuming
increasingly time-consuming
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Checking every invoice by hand is accurate but painfully _____.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for time-consuming
See all rhymes for time-consuming →Frequently asked questions
Is time-consuming hyphenated?
Yes, in almost all careful writing, whether it comes before the noun ("a time-consuming task") or after the verb ("the task is time-consuming"). Some American style guides allow the open form after a verb, but the hyphen is never wrong.
What is the difference between time-consuming and difficult?
Time-consuming describes how long something takes; difficult describes how hard it is. A job can be one without the other — sorting a thousand envelopes is time-consuming but easy, while solving one equation may be difficult but quick.
What is the meaning of time-consuming?
"time-consuming" (adjective) means taking a great deal of time to do, especially more than seems warranted.
What is another word for time-consuming?
Other words for "time-consuming" include lengthy, laborious, protracted, drawn-out, slow.
