read
verb (used with object)
to look at carefully so as to understand the meaning of (something written, printed, etc.).
was reading
-
past progressiveof read.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.
If you look at the terms of these old statutes, for years the court was reading them literally and saying: You’ve got a lot of space here.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
By September I was reading names aloud at the one-year memorial in Central Park.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
"I was reading about the football," grinned Jamie, 65, adding that he was "not the most political".
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
“That’s the thing I was expecting the whole time I was reading the script,” says Jackman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
She didn’t like to be interrupted when she was reading, even when I had to give her some medication.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
