cherish
verb (used with object)
to hold or treat as dear; feel love for.
had been cherishing
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past perfect progressiveof cherish.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.
Evidently, he thought, in spite of his friend's air of humorous detachment, he had been cherishing some genuine feeling for Miss Greta.
From The Messenger by Robins, Elizabeth
It frightened her, though it did not alter the sense of injustice to the Westmores which Ann had been cherishing.
From Nobody's Child by Dejeans, Elizabeth
Instead of the hatred which I had been cherishing, the attachment which I had before felt towards him regained its full sway.
From The Devil's Elixir Vol. I (of 2) by Hoffmann, E. T. A. (Ernst Theodor Amadeus)
For some time the Canadian gentleman who arranged the expedition had been cherishing the idea of training the Indians to perform scenes from “Hiawatha” in the forest on the shores of the “big sea water.”
From Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by Higginson, Thomas Wentworth
Individuals met at his hospitable house who had never met before, but who for years had been cherishing in solitude mutual detestation, with all the irritable exaggeration of the literary character.
From Tancred Or, The New Crusade by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield
