pass
verb (used with object)
to move past; go by.
pass
1 American
[pas]
/ pæs /
verb (used with object)
passes,
present (3rd person singular)
passed,
past participle, past
passing
present participle
-
to move past; go by.
Make sure to use your turn signal when you pass another car on the road.
-
to let go without notice, action, remark, etc.; leave unconsidered; disregard; overlook.
Pass chapter two and go on to chapter three.
- Synonyms:
- ignore
-
to omit the usual or regular payment of.
The company decided to pass its dividend in the third quarter of the year.
-
to cause or allow to go through or beyond a gate, barrier, etc..
The guard checked the identification papers and then passed the visitor.
-
to go across or over (a stream, threshold, etc.); cross.
-
to endure or undergo.
They passed the worst night of their lives.
-
to undergo or complete successfully.
to pass an examination.
-
to cause or permit to complete successfully (an investigation, examination, course of study, etc.).
I am passing the whole class this term.
-
to go beyond (a point, degree, stage, etc.); transcend; exceed; surpass.
- Synonyms:
- excel
-
to cause to go or extend farther.
to pass a rope through a hole.
-
to cause to go, move, or march by.
to pass troops in review.
-
to allot to oneself (a portion of time); spend.
He decided to pass a year abroad.
-
to live through, utilize, or fill; occupy oneself during.
How to pass the time?
-
to cause to circulate or spread; disseminate.
to pass rumors.
-
to cause to be accepted or received.
to pass a worthless check.
-
to convey, transfer, or transmit; deliver (often followed byon ).
Pass this memo on after reading it.
-
to convey from one person, hand, etc., to another.
Please pass the salt.
-
to pledge.
to pass one's word of honor to remain loyal.
-
to utter, pronounce, or speak.
She passed a remark about every passerby.
-
to cause to go through something, as a process or agency.
to pass returning travelers through customs.
-
to discharge or void from the body, as excrement or a kidney stone.
-
to sanction or approve, especially by vote.
Congress passed the bill.
- Synonyms:
- enact
-
to obtain the approval or sanction of (a legislative body, committee, etc.), especially by a vote.
The bill passed Congress on the second vote.
-
to express or pronounce, as an opinion.
to pass judgment without knowing the facts.
-
Law. to place legal title or interest in (another) by a conveyance, a will, or other transfer.
-
(in feats of magic) to perform a pass on.
-
Tennis. to make a passing shot against (an opponent).
-
Sports. to transfer (the ball or puck) to a teammate.
-
Bullfighting. (of a bullfighter) to provoke and guide the charge of (a bull) with the capa or especially the muleta.
verb (used without object)
passes,
present (3rd person singular)
passed,
past participle, past
passing
present participle
-
to go or move onward; proceed.
-
to come to or toward, then go beyond.
to pass by a shop;
to pass through town.
-
to go away; depart.
The dizzy feeling will pass in a minute.
- Synonyms:
- leave
-
to elapse or slip by; be spent.
The day passed very quickly for him.
-
to come to an end.
The crisis soon passed.
-
to die.
-
What passed while I was on vacation?
-
to go by or move past.
The funeral procession passed slowly.
-
to go about or circulate; be current.
-
to serve as a marginally acceptable substitute.
The facsimile isn't very good but it will pass.
-
to live or be known as a member of a racial, religious, or ethnic group other than one's own, especially to live and be known as a white person although of Black ancestry.
James Weldon Johnson's Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is about the life of a Black man who passes as white.
-
-
to be perceived as a gender other than the one assigned at birth, especially as a cisgender member of one's self-identified gender.
I'm not really comfortable using the women's restroom unless I'm certain I pass.
-
to be perceived as a particular gender.
I'm still at the stage of being excited when I pass as male.
-
-
to be transferred or conveyed.
The crown passed to the king's nephew.
-
to be interchanged, as between two persons.
Sharp words passed between them.
-
to undergo transition or conversion.
to pass from a solid to a liquid state.
-
to go or get through a barrier, test, course of study, etc., successfully.
Of the twenty who took the exam, only twelve passed.
-
to go unheeded, unchallenged, or unremarked on.
He decided to let the insult pass.
-
to express or pronounce an opinion, judgment, verdict, etc. (usually followed by on orupon ).
Will you pass on the authenticity of this drawing?
-
to be voided, as excrement or a kidney stone.
-
to obtain the vote of approval or sanction of a legislative body, official committee, or the like.
The new tax bill finally passed.
-
Law.
-
(of a member of an inquest or other deliberative body) to sit (usually followed by on orupon ).
to pass on a case of manslaughter.
-
to adjudicate.
-
to vest title or other legal interest in real or personal property in a new owner.
-
-
to throw a ball from one person to another, as in a game of catch.
-
Sports. to make a pass, as in football or ice hockey.
-
Cards.
-
to forgo one's opportunity to bid, play, etc.
-
to throw in one's hand.
-
-
Fencing Obsolete. to thrust or lunge.
noun
passes
plural
-
an act of passing.
-
a narrow route across a relatively low notch or depression in a mountain barrier.
-
a road, channel, or other way providing a means of passage, as through an obstructed region or other barrier.
-
a navigable channel, as at the mouth or in the delta of a river.
-
a permission or license to pass, go, come, or enter.
-
Military.
-
a military document granting the right to cross lines or to enter or leave a military or naval base or building.
-
written authority given a soldier to leave a station or duty for a specified period of time.
-
-
a free ticket or permit.
two passes to a concert;
a railroad pass.
-
Sports. the transfer of a ball or puck from one teammate to another.
-
Baseball. base on balls.
-
Fencing. a thrust or lunge.
-
a single movement, effort, maneuver, etc..
He made a pass at the control tower of the enemy airfield.
-
Informal. a gesture, action, or remark that is intended to be sexually inviting; amorous overture.
-
Informal. a jab or poke with the arm, especially one that misses its mark.
-
one passage of a tool over work or one passage of work through a machine.
-
Cards. the act or statement of not bidding or raising another bid.
There have been two passes and now it's your bid.
-
(in feats of magic)
-
a passing of the hand over, along, or before anything.
-
the transference or changing of objects by or as by sleight of hand; a manipulation, as of a juggler.
-
-
a particular stage or state of affairs.
The economic situation had come to a dreadful pass.
-
Chiefly British. the act of passing a university or school examination or course without honors or distinction.
-
South African. reference book.
-
Bullfighting. a pase.
-
Archaic. a witty remark or thrust.
-
Mining. an opening for delivering coal or ore to a lower level underground.
verb phrase
-
pass for / as to be accepted as; be considered.
material that passed for silk;
The candidate could pass as Latino or Anglo, appealing to both constituencies.
-
pass off
-
to present or offer (something) under false pretenses; dispose of deceptively.
to pass off a spurious de Kooning on a gullible buyer.
-
to cause to be accepted or received under a false identity.
He passed himself off as a doctor.
-
to cease gradually; end.
The headache passed off in the late afternoon.
-
to disregard or ignore.
-
to continue to completion; occur.
The meeting passed off without incident.
-
-
pass up to refuse or neglect to take advantage of; reject.
The opportunity may not come again, so don't pass it up.
-
pass away
-
to die.
He passed away during the night.
-
to cease; end.
All this trouble will pass away.
-
-
pass along / through to add (incurred extra costs or expenses) to the amount charged a client or customer.
Airlines were passing along the sudden increase in fuel prices.
-
pass over
-
to disregard; ignore.
Just pass over the first part of his letter.
-
to fail to take notice of, consider, or choose.
He was passed over for the promotion.
-
-
pass on to die.
The patient passed on after a long illness.
idioms
-
pass muster. muster.
-
bring to pass, to cause to happen; bring about.
His wife's death brought to pass a change in his attitude toward religion.
-
come to pass, to occur; happen.
Strange things came to pass.
-
pass out,
-
to lose consciousness; faint.
-
to die; pass away.
-
to distribute, especially individually by hand.
to pass out discount coupons on a street corner.
-
to walk or march out or through; leave or exit by means of.
The graduates will pass out the center aisle after receiving their diplomas. Pass out this door and turn left.
-
to be exempted or promoted from.
Jerry passed out of freshman composition on the basis of his entering essay.
-
Pass
2
American
[pas]
/ pæs /
noun
pass.
3
American
abbreviation
-
passenger.
-
passim.
-
passive.
pass
1
British
/ pɑːs /
verb
-
to go onwards or move by or past (a person, thing, etc)
-
to run, extend, or lead through, over, or across (a place)
the route passes through the city
-
to go through or cause to go through (an obstacle or barrier)
to pass a needle through cloth
-
to move or cause to move onwards or over
he passed his hand over her face
-
(tr) to go beyond or exceed
this victory passes all expectation
-
to gain or cause to gain an adequate or required mark, grade, or rating in (an examination, course, etc)
the examiner passed them all
-
to elapse or allow to elapse
we passed the time talking
-
to spend time amicably with someone, esp in chatting, with no particular purpose
-
(intr) to take place or happen
what passed at the meeting?
-
to speak or exchange or be spoken or exchanged
angry words passed between them
-
to spread or cause to spread
we passed the news round the class
-
to transfer or exchange or be transferred or exchanged
the bomb passed from hand to hand
-
(intr) to undergo change or transition
to pass from joy to despair
-
to transfer or be transferred by inheritance
the house passed to the younger son
-
to agree to or sanction or to be agreed to or receive the sanction of a legislative body, person of authority, etc
the assembly passed 10 resolutions
-
(tr) (of a legislative measure) to undergo (a procedural stage) and be agreed
the bill passed the committee stage
-
to pronounce or deliver (judgment, findings, etc)
the court passed sentence
-
to go or allow to go without comment or censure
the intended insult passed unnoticed
-
(intr) to opt not to exercise a right, as by not answering a question or not making a bid or a play in card games
-
physiol to discharge (urine, faeces, etc) from the body
-
to urinate
-
(intr) to come to an end or disappear
his anger soon passed
-
(intr; usually foll by for or as) to be likely to be mistaken for or accepted as (someone or something else)
you could easily pass for your sister
-
(intr; foll by away, on, or over) a euphemism for die 1
-
(tr) to fail to declare (a dividend)
-
(intr; usually foll by on or upon) (of a court, jury, etc) to sit in judgment; adjudicate
-
sport to hit, kick, or throw (the ball) to another player
-
archaic to cause to happen
-
to happen
noun
-
the act of passing
-
-
a route through a range of mountains where the summit is lower or where there is a gap between peaks
-
( capital as part of a name )
the Simplon Pass
-
-
a way through any difficult region
-
a permit, licence, or authorization to do something without restriction
she has a pass to visit the museum on Sundays
-
-
a document allowing entry to and exit from a military installation
-
a document authorizing leave of absence
-
-
-
the passing of a college or university examination to a satisfactory standard but not as high as honours
-
( as modifier ) Compare honours
a pass degree
-
-
a dive, sweep, or bombing or landing run by an aircraft
-
a motion of the hand or of a wand as a prelude to or part of a conjuring trick
-
informal an attempt, in words or action, to invite sexual intimacy (esp in the phrase make a pass at )
-
a state of affairs or condition, esp a bad or difficult one (esp in the phrase a pretty pass )
-
sport the transfer of a ball from one player to another
-
fencing a thrust or lunge with a sword
-
bridge the act of passing (making no bid)
-
bullfighting a variant of pase
-
archaic a witty sally or remark
interjection
pass.
2
British
abbreviation
pass
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
See die 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
passsimple
-
passessimple
-
have passedperfect
-
has passedperfect
-
am passingprogressive
-
are passingprogressive
-
is passingprogressive
-
have been passingperfect progressive
-
has been passingperfect progressive
Past
-
passedsimple
-
had passedperfect
-
was passingprogressive
-
were passingprogressive
-
had been passingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pass
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb passen, from Old French passer, from unattested Vulgar Latin passāre, derivative of Latin passus “step, pace”; noun derivative of verb; see origin at pace 1;
Explanation
A document that lets you go somewhere or do something is a pass. You can have a backstage pass at a concert, a three-day pass from a military base, or a hall pass for using the restroom during class. If you hand something to someone, you can use the verb pass, like when your dad asks you to pass the mashed potatoes. If the hand off is more of a throw or toss, then you are probably referring to a sports pass. You can't complain that no one will pass you the ball if you always stay on the opposite end of the court from where the action is.
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.
See Examples For:
She added the charity recommended at least two metres of space for wheelchair users or guide dog owners to be able to pass one another.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
When fully loaded, the VLCCs, or very large crude carriers that can carry 2 million barrels of oil, sit too deep in the water to pass through the Suez Canal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“There’s so much life to live. We’re seeing many of our parents and our friends’ parents pass away, and it makes you realize that life can feel like a conveyor belt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
I was raised near the shore of Chicago’s slice of Lake Michigan, a body of water wide and blue enough to pass for the sea.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
He doesn’t look at me as they pass, but behind his back he waves me along.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
He’d had a great day until he tried to reenter the park and instead waited four hours at the Tioga Pass in a line that stretched for miles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Sharma's focus on blockbuster series is a pivot away from former chief executive Phil Spencer's big bet on Game Pass, a Netflix-style subscription service.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Or it could be that Xbox couldn’t get enough buy-in to its streaming service, Xbox Game Pass.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
Pass Out star Tempah told Newsbeat he thinks people are connecting with artists who bring them nostalagia as they are "harking back to a more simple time in the world".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Our senior prom song was ‘We May Never Pass This Way Again,’” Darryl recalls.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
"First of all, there's very few ships that pass. There's even fewer of those that pay, and those that pay will already be subject to American sanctions," he says.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
“The most dire predictions didn’t come to pass. The market remains fairly robust,” said Meredith Freed, senior policy manager with KFF’s program on Medicare policy.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 20, 2026
“But moments pass. I don’t want that. I want to incorporate beans into the way we eat.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026
“This too shall pass. So I will continue doing this work on behalf of the American people”
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2025
“Mother thought she saw thee pass. She sent me to fetch thee for supper and to stay the night if thee will.”
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
For the Trump VIPs, being seen by both the packed rows of reporters with coveted courtroom passes and Trump himself was a key part of the ritual.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Its great colonial naval base in Asia would be in Singapore, allowing control of Malacca, through which the largest share of global maritime traffic from China now passes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
In a shocking first half, Argentina committed more fouls than passes in the final third of the pitch.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Haaland’s singularity was a testament to how humanity seeks heroes — but Spain’s ultimate triumph via crisp passes and selfless teamwork offered a stirring, convincing collective counterpoint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The dust devil passes as quickly as it came.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
After a rather rough month for semiconductor stocks, the bounce seen the past few days may have some wondering if the storm has passed.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Proposition 7 passed with a substantial majority, with 60% voting in favor of the proposal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Some 12% of global seaborne oil passed through Bab al-Mandeb before the war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Following 20 years as a full-time carer for her husband, her finances are "extremely tight", so she has felt particularly vulnerable to price rises since he passed away.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Now his audience can see the hole in the top of his mouth through which the rod passed.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
“I am absolutely gutted about the passing of sweet Kaylee Hottle,” Oscar winner Marlee Matlin wrote on Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Magyar's government has moved to turn the page on the Orban era, passing a swathe of anti-corruption measures and changing the constitution to effectively bar Orban from running again.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Asked whether Iran would impose tolls on merchant vessels passing through the vital waterway, Caine said it was a “hypothetical” scenario — a response Kennedy rejected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
In what could be seen as a symbolic passing of the torch, Lamine Yamal went head to head with Argentinan football legend Lionel Messi for the first time during the World Cup final.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
We were marched to a field where soldiers were passing out blankets from the backs of open trucks.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
