hover
verb (used without object)
to hang fluttering or suspended in the air.
had been hovering
-
past perfect progressiveof hover.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.
A year earlier, at an event in New Hampshire, he met a fellow backstage who had been hovering around the fringes of politics for a while.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2025
That share had been hovering around 20% for most of the past three years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2025
Bass wouldn’t get more precise, other than to say it had been hovering above 1,500 a few days earlier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2025
It had been hovering at its highest level in 16 years.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 9, 2023
Charlie had been hovering in the living room, and he was already on his feet.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
