describe
verb (used with object)
to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of.
had been describing
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past perfect progressiveof describe.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.
That meal felt like a small, vivid demonstration of what the women at the festival had been describing all weekend.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
The researchers' 2024 research concluded that textbooks had been describing this effect incorrectly for almost 100 years.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
Gerry Liston, one of GLAN's lawyers, said: "Portugal stood up on behalf of all respondent states and claimed what the applicants had been describing was just a figment of their imagination and that's gaslighting."
From Reuters ● Sep. 27, 2023
Ghani told the BBC that Cameron had been describing “the legacy of the past” in Afghanistan.
From Washington Times ● May 12, 2016
A legend in his own time, Americans had been describing Washington as “the Father of the Country” since 1776—which is to say, before there was even a country.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
