hug
verb (used with object)
to clasp tightly in the arms, especially with affection; embrace.
had been hugging
-
past perfect progressiveof hug.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.
Whitecotton and others who stood just feet away said Owens was unarmed, had been hugging his aunt, Evelyn O’Dell, and was fired on immediately after his name was called.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 8, 2022
Quinto's mother, Cassandra Quinto-Collins, claims she had been hugging her son and he was calm by the time officers arrived at their home in Antioch, 45 miles east of San Francisco.
From Fox News ● Feb. 24, 2021
I had been hugging the dog for 4 minutes when I heard screaming.
From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon
She had been hugging her little bundle as if it had been a life-preserver.
From Comrade Yetta by Albert Edwards
Depending upon it, we had been hugging the wrong shore.
From Virginia: the Old Dominion by Frank W. Hutchins
