stand
verb (used without object)
(of a person) to be in an upright position on the feet.
had been standing
-
past perfect progressiveof stand.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.
"We spend as many hours as we have to, depending on how much we need it," said Raoni Izaguirre, who had been standing in line for an hour under the blazing sun.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Nomadic Aviation Group, his company, had been standing by for months as Spirit teetered closer to the brink.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
"I had been standing at the window for hours, my feet were hurting and my eyes were glazing over," she says.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2024
Landi had been standing on the podium to spot Biles during previous attempts, a decision that cost her a half-point neutral deduction.
From Seattle Times ● May 18, 2024
When I jumped out of her way, she kept right on going through the door that I had been standing in front of.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
