pass out
Britishverb
-
informal (intr) to become unconscious; faint
-
(intr) (esp of an officer cadet) to qualify for a military commission; complete a course of training satisfactorily
General Smith passed out from Sandhurst in 1933
-
(tr) to distribute
-
Distribute, as in He passed out the papers . [Early 1900s]
-
Also, pass out cold . Faint, as in When she heard the news she passed out cold . [Early 1900s] Also see out cold .
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.
Hayley, from Shefford, Bedfordshire, would often pass out from the pain but the doctors' advice was to take paracetamol.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
“I’ll probably pass out if I get the chance,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Before the knockout round, the brand dispatched teams of local ranchbassadors to multiple stadiums with one goal: pass out samples to every fan in sight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Maybe, just maybe I would have been able to pass out on the soft.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
If I don't get some sleep, I'm going to pass out in my soup.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
