steep
adjective
having an almost vertical slope or pitch, or a relatively high gradient, as a hill, an ascent, stairs, etc.
had been steeping
-
past perfect progressiveof steep.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.
That was an idea that had been steeping for a while.
From Los Angeles Times β Jun. 22, 2015
Nordahl, who is cook to-day, had to haul up some salt meat which, rolled in a sack, had been steeping for two days in the sea.
From Farthest North Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship 'Fram' 1893-1896 Vol. I by Fridtjof Nansen
And now I perceived, by a flash of insight, that I had been steeping myself in pure ancestral blindness, and looking at life with the eyes of a remote spectator.
From Talks To Teachers On Psychology; And To Students On Some Of Life's Ideals by William James
The air was sweet with the breath of mown hayfields where swaths of clover had been steeping in the sun.
From The Story Girl by L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery
When the clock struck eight, Prudence poured out her father's customary draught of herb tea, which had been steeping by the fireside ever since twilight.
From Good Cheer Stories Every Child Should Know by Asa Don Dickinson
