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passing

[ pas-ing, pah-sing ]
/ ˈpæs ɪŋ, ˈpɑ sɪŋ /
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adjective
adverb
surpassingly; exceedingly; very.
noun
the act of a person or thing that passes or causes something to pass.
a means or place of passage.
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Idioms about passing

    in passing, by the way; incidentally: The speaker mentioned his latest book in passing.

Origin of passing

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at pass, -ing2, -ing1

OTHER WORDS FROM passing

pass·ing·ly, adverbpass·ing·ness, nounun·pass·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use passing in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for passing

passing
/ (ˈpɑːsɪŋ) /

adjective
transitory or momentarya passing fancy
cursory or casual in action or mannera passing reference
adverb, adjective
archaic to an extreme degreethe events were passing strange
noun
a place where or means by which one may pass, cross, ford, etc
a euphemism for death
in passing by the way; incidentallyhe mentioned your visit in passing
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
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