long ago
In ancient times
Long ago refers to a time in the distant past, often with a sense of remoteness or nostalgia: Long ago, this valley was covered by glaciers.
The phrase frequently opens stories and legends: Long ago, in a kingdom by the sea.
As a noun, it names that distant time itself: heroes of long ago, friends from long ago.
- once upon a timeTraditional narrative opening
- way back whenA long-ago time
- formerlyIn the past
- onceAt one time
- back in the dayIn times past
past · bygone · the good old days · olden times · before · yesteryear · days of yore · ages past · primeval · previously · chronicles · time immemorial · aforetime · legend · folklore · vintage · relic · ancient
- time expressionsnow, today, soon, tomorrow, later
- time phrasesall day, all night, for now, in time, on time
- Prehistoric Timesprehistory, ancient times, Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age
- story phrasesonce upon a time, happily ever after, the end, in the beginning, far far away
- Story Termsonce upon a time, the end, happily ever after, meanwhile, to be continued
- timesecond, minute, hour, day, seconds
long agorecently
In the near past
just now · in the near future · soon · not long ago · lately
long agofreshly
Recently made or done
newly · the other day · this morning · in recent memory · last week
long agonow
The present moment
here and now · this instant · at once · immediately · forthwith
long, length, ago, longer, prolong, prolonged, lengthen, elongate, longest