swagger
verb (used without object)
to walk or strut with a defiant or insolent air.
had been swaggering
-
past perfect progressiveof swagger.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.
The beggar had been swaggering over his blessed diamond ever since he came aboard.
From The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
His confusion and dismay, on discovering the next morning that he had been swaggering in this free and easy way in the house of a private gentleman, may be readily conceived.
From Oliver Goldsmith A Biography by Washington Irving
Fanning had been swaggering about, boasting of his wonderful aeroplane, and now it appeared at the eleventh hour he had decided not to enter it.
From The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship by Margaret Burnham
All night long Scarthe’s royal swashbucklers had been swaggering through the streets, disturbing the tranquillity of their town, and leaving many a score unsettled.
From The White Gauntlet by Mayne Reid
