time-consuming
Meaning
Taking a lot of or too much time.
Structure
Usage
Preparing the detailed report was a very time-consuming process.
She found the application forms unnecessarily complex and time-consuming.
We are looking for ways to automate these time-consuming manual tasks.
Etymology
The compound adjective "time-consuming" is a modern English formation that transparently combines three native and borrowed elements. The noun "time," of Germanic origin, specifies the resource. The verb root "consum," from the Latin "consumere" meaning "to take up completely," is used in its English verbal sense of "to use up." The suffix "-ing," of Old English origin, converts the verbal action into an adjectival modifier. The literal logic is "using up time," which evolved into the modern abstract meaning of any task or process that requires a significant or excessive amount of time to complete.
Analysis
- time: From Old English 'tīma', meaning a period or season. In this compound, it functions as a noun denoting the resource being used. - consum: A direct substring of 'consume', from Latin 'consumere' (com-, "altogether" + sumere, "to take"). Here, it functions as the verb root meaning "to use up". - ing: From Old English '-ende', a present participle suffix. In this formation, it functions to create an adjective from the verb phrase.