past progressive

[ pastpruh-gres-iv ]

noun
  1. a verb construction, in English made up of the auxiliary verb be in the past tense followed by the present participle of the main verb, used especially to express an action or event that was incomplete or in progress at a point of reference in the past, such as Iwas sleepingwhen the phone rang.

adjective
  1. designating a verb construction used to express an action or event that was incomplete or in progress at a point of reference in the past.

Origin of past progressive

1
First recorded in 1790–1800

Words Nearby past progressive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024