Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

pass out

British  

verb

  1. informal (intr) to become unconscious; faint

  2. (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

  3. (tr) to distribute

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
pass out Idioms  

  1. Distribute, as in He passed out the papers . [Early 1900s]

  2. 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.

As for free food, sometimes they pass out samples to the crowd after the Guy Fieri demonstrations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Then, in Ireland's next meaningful attack, McCloskey swung a killer pass out to Baloucoune, who shrugged off Graham to score in the corner.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Occasionally, workers who weren’t wearing protective equipment would pass out from the fumes, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

While waiting on a bench at the police station, officers said Diarra was seen to pass out and paramedics were called who tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead.

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

"Good old Jake! I knew you wouldn't pass out."

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Definitions 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.