Definition

1. Verb:

   • To move or proceed, especially in a forward direction: To go from one place or point to another, often moving past something.
   • To go by or move past something: To go beyond a particular point or object.
   • To transfer or hand something to someone: To give something to another person.
   • To succeed in a test or examination: To meet the required standard and be approved.
   • To approve or enact officially: To be accepted or made into law by a legislative body.
   • To come to an end or elapse: To go away or cease to exist, often referring to time or a feeling.
   • To die (euphemism): A gentle way to say someone has died.

2. Noun:

   • An act of moving past or through a place: The action of going by or through something.
   • A success in an examination or test: The achievement of meeting the required standard.
   • A document granting permission: An official permit allowing entry, access, or leave.
   • A transfer of a ball to a teammate in sports: The act of throwing or kicking the ball to another player.
   • A narrow route through mountains: A gap or route between mountains.
   • A difficult situation (archaic): A critical or troublesome state of affairs.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Please let the other cars pass. (Please allow the other cars to go by.)
  • Could you pass the salt? (Could you hand the salt to me?)
  • She studied hard to pass her final exams. (She studied hard to succeed in her final exams.)
  • The bill is expected to pass in Congress. (The bill is expected to be approved by Congress.)
  • Three hours passed before they returned. (Three hours went by before they returned.)

• Noun:

  • The plane made a low pass over the airfield. (The plane made a low flight over the airfield.)
  • He got a pass in mathematics. (He succeeded in his mathematics test.)
  • You need a security pass to enter the building. (You need a security permit to enter the building.)
  • The quarterback made a perfect pass to the receiver. (The quarterback made a perfect throw to the receiver.)
  • They traveled through a mountain pass. (They traveled through a route in the mountains.)

Advanced Usage

• "to pass away": to die (a gentle expression).

  • Her grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep. (Her grandfather died peacefully in his sleep.)

• "to pass for": to be accepted as or mistaken for something else.

  • With that accent, he could pass for a native speaker. (With that accent, he could be accepted as a native speaker.)

• "to pass on": to decline an offer; or to transmit something.

  • I'll pass on dessert, thank you. (I'll decline dessert, thank you.)
  • Please pass on the message to the team. (Please transmit the message to the team.)

Variants and Related Words

• Passable (adj): Just good enough to be acceptable; able to be traveled on.

  • The road was rough but passable. (The road was rough but could be traveled on.)

• Passage (n): The act of passing; a corridor; a segment of text.

  • The passage of time was evident. (The process of time moving forward was evident.)

• Passing (adj/n): Going by; temporary; the act of dying.

  • He gave her a passing glance. (He gave her a quick glance as he went by.)

Synonyms

• Go by: To move past.
• Hand: To give something to someone.
• Succeed: To achieve a goal, especially in a test.
• Elapse: (Of time) to pass or go by.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Pass along: To transmit or hand something to the next person.

  • Could you pass along these reports to the manager? (Could you give these reports to the manager?)

• Pass by: To go past without stopping.

  • I saw him pass by the window. (I saw him go past the window.)

• Pass over: To ignore or disregard; to choose not to promote someone.

  • They passed over him for the promotion. (They chose not to give him the promotion.)

Related Idioms

• Pass the buck: To shift responsibility or blame to someone else.

  • Don't pass the buck; this is your project to manage. (Don't shift the responsibility; this is your project to manage.)

• Pass muster: To be accepted as satisfactory or adequate.

  • His work just barely passed muster. (His work was just barely accepted as satisfactory.)

• A passing fancy: A temporary interest or liking.

  • His interest in painting was just a passing fancy. (His interest in painting was only temporary.)

Adjective

1. of advancing the ball by throwing it
   • a team with a good passing attack
   • a pass play

Noun

1. success in satisfying a test or requirement
   • his future depended on his passing that test
   • he got a pass in introductory chemistry
2. (sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team
   • the pass was fumbled
3. a usually brief attempt
   • he took a crack at it
   • I gave it a whirl
4. a complimentary ticket
   • the star got passes for his family
5. a permit to enter or leave a military installation
   • he had to show his pass in order to get out
6. you advance to the next round in a tournament without playing an opponent
   • he had a bye in the first round
7. one complete cycle of operations (as by a computer)
   • it was not possible to complete the computation in a single pass
8. a difficult juncture
   • a pretty pass
   • matters came to a head yesterday
9. a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs
10. a flight or run by an aircraft over a target
    • the plane turned to make a second pass
11. a document indicating permission to do something without restrictions
    • the media representatives had special passes
12. any authorization to pass or go somewhere
    • the pass to visit had a strict time limit
13. the location in a range of mountains of a geological formation that is lower than the surrounding peaks
    • we got through the pass before it started to snow
14. (American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
    • the coach sent in a passing play on third and long
15. (military) a written leave of absence
    • he had a pass for three days
16. (baseball) an advance to first base by a batter who receives four balls
    • he worked the pitcher for a base on balls

Verb

1. eliminate from the body
   • Pass a kidney stone
2. pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
   • She died from cancer
   • The children perished in the fire
   • The patient went peacefully
   • The old guy kicked the bucket at the age of 102
3. grant authorization or clearance for
   • Clear the manuscript for publication
   • The rock star never authorized this slanderous biography
4. cause to pass
   • She passed around the plates
5. be inherited by
   • The estate fell to my sister
   • The land returned to the family
   • The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead
6. throw (a ball) to another player
   • Smith passed
7. pass into a specified state or condition
   • He sank into nirvana
8. transfer to another; of rights or property
   • Our house passed under his official control
9. allow to go without comment or censure
   • the insult passed as if unnoticed
10. accept or judge as acceptable
    • The teacher passed the student although he was weak
11. be superior or better than some standard
    • She exceeded our expectations
    • She topped her performance of last year
12. go successfully through a test or a selection process
    • She passed the new Jersey Bar Exam and can practice law now
13. disappear gradually
    • The pain eventually passed off
14. transmit information
    • Please communicate this message to all employees
    • pass along the good news
15. pass over, across, or through
    • He ran his eyes over her body
    • She ran her fingers along the carved figurine
    • He drew her hair through his fingers
16. pass time in a specific way
    • how are you spending your summer vacation?
17. go unchallenged; be approved
    • The bill cleared the House
18. come to pass
    • What is happening?
    • The meeting took place off without an incidence
    • Nothing occurred that seemed important
19. travel past
    • The sports car passed all the trucks
20. stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
    • Service runs all the way to Cranbury
    • His knowledge doesn't go very far
    • My memory extends back to my fourth year of life
    • The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets
21. place into the hands or custody of
    • hand me the spoon, please
    • Turn the files over to me, please
    • He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers
22. pass by
    • three years elapsed
23. make laws, bills, etc. or bring into effect by legislation
    • They passed the amendment
    • We cannot legislate how people spend their free time
24. move past
    • A black limousine passed by when she looked out the window
    • He passed his professor in the hall
    • One line of soldiers surpassed the other
25. go across or through
    • We passed the point where the police car had parked
    • A terrible thought went through his mind