hibernate
verb (used without object)
to spend the winter in close quarters in a dormant condition, as bears and certain other animals.
had been hibernating
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past perfect progressiveof hibernate.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.
As the work intensified, something that had been hibernating in her mind awakened, and once roused it would not go away.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
The room was dim—lighted only by the firelight; and in that dimness her mind began to stir and stretch and yawn itself awake, like a creature that had been hibernating through a long, dark winter.
From The Primrose Ring by Ruth Sawyer
