perish
verb (used without object)
to die or be destroyed through violence, privation, etc..
had been perishing
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past perfect progressiveof perish.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.
I blushed, that while I had been absurdly profuse to cases of which I knew nothing, my own village had been perishing with a contagious sickness.
From Coelebs In Search of a Wife by Hannah More
