was gentrifying
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past progressiveof gentrify.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
gentrifyverb (used with object)to alter (a deteriorated urban neighborhood) through the buying and renovation of houses and stores by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, raising property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses.
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.
“In the late ’70s, as San Francisco was gentrifying, the one supply of housing for low-income people was single-room-occupancy hotels,” he said in an interview.
From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2021
Rebecca O’Neal telling us about how Prozac was gentrifying her brain.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 30, 2019