pass up
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb: 1. To fail to notice, acknowledge, or greet someone: To not recognize or intentionally ignore a person, especially when encountering them. 2. To decline or refuse an opportunity, offer, or item: To choose not to take advantage of or accept something that is available.
Usage and Examples
- Failing to acknowledge someone:
- I waved, but she passed me up without a glance.
- He was so deep in thought that he passed up his old teacher on the street.
- Refusing or declining something:
- You shouldn't pass up a chance to study abroad.
- I had to pass up the dessert; I was too full.
- They passed up the opportunity to invest early.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often implies that the thing being declined might be valuable or beneficial, and that not taking it could be a mistake.
- It's the deal of a lifetime—don't pass it up.
- It can be used in the imperative as advice or a warning.
- "Pass up the fried food if you're watching your cholesterol."
Variants and Related Words
- Pass (verb): While "pass" has many meanings, in the context of moving by something without stopping, it relates to the first meaning of "pass up." (e.g., )
- Turn down (phrasal verb): A close synonym for the second meaning (to refuse an offer). (e.g., )
Synonyms
- Ignore, overlook, snub (for failing to acknowledge).
- Refuse, decline, reject, forgo, let slip, miss out on (for declining an opportunity).
Antonyms
- Acknowledge, greet, notice (for failing to acknowledge).
- Accept, seize, take, grab (for declining an opportunity).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Pass on: Can be a synonym for "pass up" when meaning to decline something. (e.g., ) It can also mean to transmit something or to die.
- Pass over: Can mean to ignore or fail to promote someone, or to skip something. (e.g., )
Verb
- fail to acknowledge
- he passed me up in the street
- refuse to accept
- He refused my offer of hospitality