sob
verb (used without object)
to weep with a convulsive catching of the breath.
had been sobbing
-
past perfect progressiveof sob.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.
At this stage, Ms Batool, who had been sobbing loudly, left the court and the hearing was suspended.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2024
Lanning said he could tell the child, whose name he did not know at the time, had been sobbing.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 14, 2022
Maltbie said Calcavecchia had been sobbing so hard that his eyes were swollen.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 26, 2016
She put her head in her hands in court, and her mother told reporters that she had been sobbing in her bedroom since her arrest over the stolen television.
From New York Times ● Aug. 13, 2011
Confined for her safety in a small, interior room, Maggie had been sobbing for days, “sick and nearly paralyzed with fright.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
