taking the long way
Avoiding the shortcut
Taking the long way means choosing a route or method that requires more time or distance than necessary.
The literal sense applies to travel: Let's take the long way home and enjoy the scenery.
Figuratively, it describes any indirect approach to reaching a goal—whether deliberate for the experience or accidental through inefficiency: He took the long way to his point, but eventually got there.
- detourAlternate path around obstruction
- meanderingFollowing a winding course
- scenic routeRoad selected for beauty
- road less traveledAtypical route chosen deliberately
- winding roadCurved path with bends
off the beaten path · patience · slow and steady · deliberation · mindfulness · odyssey · pilgrimage · labyrinth · discovery · contemplation · growth · iterative process · trade-offs · acceptance · wandering · exploration · backtracking · savoring
taking the long waybeelining
Going directly toward
as the crow flies · cutting through · cutting corners · cutting across · GPS routing
take, taking, long, longer, longest, longed, longing, longingly