salivate
verb (used without object)
to produce saliva.
had been salivating
-
past perfect progressiveof salivate.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.
It was the match-up baseball fans had been salivating over for months: Japanese power player Shohei Othani up against US All-Star Mike Trout.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2023
In the end, a fight that boxing purists had been salivating for delivered on its promise.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 17, 2017
Journalists and commentators had been salivating at the prospect of America's first black president meeting Africa's oldest.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2015
The insurgency was growing at the time, although Mr Reid said the danger of "civil war" had been exaggerated, and the British press had been "salivating at the prospect".
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2010
For months Gerard Mignone, 38, an unemployed Brooklyn milkman, had been salivating at the very sight of NBC's gaudy giveaway, The Price Is Right.
From Time Magazine Archive
