passing

American  

[pas-ing] / ˈpæs ɪŋ /

adjective

1. going by or past; elapsing.

   He was feeling better with each passing day.

2. brief, fleeting, or fortuitous; transitory.

   to take a passing fancy to something.

3. done, given, etc., in passing; cursory.

   a passing mention.

4. surpassing, preeminent, or extreme.

5. indicating satisfactory performance in a course, on a paper, in a test, etc..

   a passing grade on a test.

6. living or being known as a member of a racial, religious, or ethnic group other than one's own, especially living and being known as a white person although of Black ancestry.

   Employees with a passing racial identity expressed frequent discomfort in the workplace.

7. Sometimes Offensive. being known or perceived as a gender other than the one assigned at birth.

   Passing women who dress and live as men have existed throughout history.

   The environment might be safer for a passing trans man than for someone who is obviously transgender.

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adverb

1. surpassingly; exceedingly; very.

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that passes or causes something to pass.

2. a means or place of passage.

idioms

1. in passing, by the way; incidentally.

   The speaker mentioned his latest book in passing.

passing British  

/ ˈpɑːsɪŋ /

adjective

1. transitory or momentary

   a passing fancy

2. cursory or casual in action or manner

   a passing reference

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adverb

1. archaic to an extreme degree

   the events were passing strange

noun

1. a place where or means by which one may pass, cross, ford, etc

2. a euphemism for death

3. by the way; incidentally

   he mentioned your visit in passing

Other Word Forms

• passingly
  adverb
• passingness
  noun
• unpassing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of passing

First recorded in 1275–1325; pass + -ing ¹ for the noun senses; pass + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Explanation

Something that's passing happens very quickly. If you give someone a passing glance, you look so briefly in their direction that you barely see them. Passing is one of those versatile words with many different uses. A passing reference is a light, brief mention of something, and a passing grade is one that's high enough for you to pass a test. As a noun, passing often means "the end of something," like the passing of an era — while the passing of a person means death. When you talk about something "in passing," you mention it in a casual way.

Example Sentences

Passing the committee were two other Pérez bills.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Passing sentence, Judge William Mousley KC told Brandt his actions had a "significant and enduring" impact on Dame Penny.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

Passing the ball across the box to 19-year-old Diomande, whose superbly bent shot gave Koffi no chance.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

For a college quarterback, an invite from the Manning Passing Academy is usually too good to refuse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025

Passing silently through, Frodo found himself on the top of the southern bank above the pool.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

Related Words

• cursory
• fleeting
• superficial