a long time ago

adverb
UK: /ə lɒŋ taɪm əˈɡəʊ/
US: /ə lɔːŋ taɪm əˈɡoʊ/

  1. A considerable period in the past; a long while since something happened.

    1. My grandma told me stories from a long time ago, when she was a child. [ ] [ ]
    2. The dinosaurs lived on Earth a long time ago, before humans even existed on this planet. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

formerly of old long since once upon a time
a long time ago idiom

  1. Referring to a period in history or personal memory that is distant and often idealized or romanticized.

    1. A long time ago, people wrote letters instead of sending emails. [ ] [ ]
    2. In a long time ago, travelling around the world was a real adventure, unlike the short flights today. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "a long time ago" is /ə lɒŋ taɪm əˈɡəʊ/ in British English and /ə lɔːŋ taɪm əˈɡoʊ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "a long time ago": formerly, of old, long since, once upon a time.

Example usage of "a long time ago": "My grandma told me stories from a long time ago, when she was a child.". More examples on the page.