listen
verb (used without object)
to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.
had been listening
-
past perfect progressiveof listen.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.
Perhaps they had been listening to Given on Match of the Day on Saturday night.
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026
A few hours later, Trump paused the tariffs and said he had been listening to Dimon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026
Suzanne is a sought-after hairstylist in Orange County, and she had been listening very closely to her clients, many of whom are politically conservative.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2024
Heather had been listening to the podcast on her commute in Australia, which became moot during lockdown.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2023
Ron added to Harry as the group of second-year girls who had been listening to his chilling tale departed.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
