give
verb (used with object)
to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow.
was giving
-
past progressiveof give.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
He told me in March that he was giving himself two years to make it work when we spoke for a column about entrepreneurship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
“She didn’t give big speeches. I was giving big speeches. She wasn’t that person. She was the person that, behind the scenes, did all the work. Smart, tough, serious.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Another prediction market, Polymarket, was giving the same likelihood.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
"It got to a point where the idea of touring was giving me panic attacks, and I just couldn't stomach being Ashe, which is such a shame, because I'm her."
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, she was giving a piano lesson to a girl who kept messing up. I got annoyed, and I was like, ‘Don’t you hear the next note?
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
