celebrate
verb (used with object)
to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities.
had been celebrating
-
past perfect progressiveof celebrate.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Americans had been celebrating the Fourth as “that glorious and ever memorable day,” as the Pennsylvania Evening Post put it in 1777, since their first opportunity to do so.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
The “Firework” hitmaker and Trudeau confirmed their relationship in October, when they stepped out hand in hand at a cabaret show in Paris, where they had been celebrating Perry’s birthday.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
Stephanie Baker had been celebrating her birthday with friends at a bar on Palm Jumeirah - Dubai's iconic man-made palm-shaped island lined with luxury hotels and beach clubs.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
“This is a very close-knit family that had been celebrating the anticipation of a new life when tragedy struck.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
On the evening of an anniversary of the birthday of his grandson, the palatine rode abroad with a party of friends, who had been celebrating the festival with their presence.
From Thaddeus of Warsaw by Jane Porter
