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
The couple was spotted by paparazzi holding hands in Paris last weekend as they left the Crazy Horse cabaret, where they had been celebrating Perry's 41st birthday.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2025
“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
This artistic structure was found on the anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill, a day which I had been celebrating, as best I could, by climbing the highest hill in New England.
From Birds in the Bush by Bradford Torrey
