admire
verb (used with object)
to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval.
were admiring
-
past progressiveof admire.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.
It was not long ago that fans and pundits were admiring the power of the Premier League.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
A few nights later, while Maslova and her family were admiring a stack of toys that their hosts brought for the children, Albagir and three men with whom he was traveling were arrested.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 14, 2022
They were admiring how some of their dishes were displayed when a salesclerk told them the pieces were copies of those used by Marie Antoinette.
From New York Times ● Mar. 9, 2022
A minute later, they were admiring it in a three-way mirror.
From The New Yorker ● May 20, 2019
Sometimes they’d watch me spin with a kind of awe, and I almost thought they were admiring me, but their eyes were only on the gold.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
