heave
verb (used with object)
to throw, especially to lift and throw with effort, force, or violence.
were heaving
-
past progressiveof heave.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.
Shopping areas, including the market of Addisu Gebeya, were heaving in Addis Ababa on New Year's Eve, despite the rain - as people rushed to prepare for the celebrations.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2025
Legs were starting to leaden and chests were heaving visibly.
From Slate ● Feb. 26, 2018
Bookshops were heaving with so many of these “clean” books that even the authors themselves started to feel that there were too many of them.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 11, 2017
There was snow in some sections of the stands but workers were heaving it toward the piles on the sidelines, where it was being trucked away.
From New York Times ● Dec. 30, 2010
A knot of boys, making a great noise that he had not noticed, were heaving and pushing at a rock.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
