passing
going by or past; elapsing: He was feeling better with each passing day.
brief, fleeting, or fortuitous; transitory: to take a passing fancy to something.
done, given, etc., in passing; cursory: a passing mention.
surpassing, preeminent, or extreme.
indicating satisfactory performance in a course, on a paper, in a test, etc.: a passing grade on a test.
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.
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.
surpassingly; exceedingly; very.
the act of a person or thing that passes or causes something to pass.
a means or place of passage.
Idioms about passing
in passing, by the way; incidentally: The speaker mentioned his latest book in passing.
Origin of passing
1Other words from passing
- pass·ing·ly, adverb
- pass·ing·ness, noun
- un·pass·ing, adjective
Words Nearby passing
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use passing in a sentence
Both teams rushed the ball fairly well — the Bucs had 14 carries for 60 yards and the Chiefs had 11 for 57 — but Kansas City got much of that production from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has struggled in the passing game.
Super Bowl highlights: Bucs celebrate championship, Tom Brady wins MVP | Des Bieler, Mark Maske, Chuck Culpepper | February 8, 2021 | Washington PostFor Green, though, his passing, screening and acumen are critical to opening the door for Curry to carry the scoring load.
Draymond Green Isn’t Scoring, But He’s Doing Everything Else For The Warriors | James L. Jackson | February 4, 2021 | FiveThirtyEightHe was used sparingly by the Raiders in the passing game this season, catching 13 passes for 69 yards and two scores.
In second retirement, Jason Witten to coach at Dallas-area high school | Des Bieler | February 2, 2021 | Washington PostThe Bills struggled when the passing game was thrown off rhythm in 2020.
The Chiefs Defense Used Four Big Safeties To Get To The Super Bowl | Josh Hermsmeyer | January 28, 2021 | FiveThirtyEightThe league is shifting more and more to the passing game, allowing average quarterbacks to tally higher yardage totals just by virtue of suiting up under center.
Sorry, but Philip Rivers is not a Hall of Fame quarterback | Neil Greenberg | January 22, 2021 | Washington Post
The big slug happened to hit the suspect in the street, passing through his arm and then striking Police Officer Andrew Dossi.
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
While Drake is redefining realness, Iggy is effectively “passing.”
Lawmaking by legislatures is also a one-way ratchet—Legislators get credit for passing laws, not pruning them.
It was a Republican Congress working with a Democratic president that succeeded in passing the welfare reform bill the first time.
To GOP Congress, as Usual, It’s Welfare on the Chopping Block | Monica Potts | December 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAt present, Louis was too self-absorbed by the struggles within him, to look deep into what was passing around him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterAgain the sallow fingers began to play with the book-covers, passing from one to another, but always slowly and gently.
Bella Donna | Robert HichensIn passing to her own chamber she met the Emperor, and, in the agitation of her maternal fears, told him all that had passed.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane Porterpassing, now, to the other side of elasticity—i.e., contractility—can we say as much?
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsIt may be noted in passing that in the three miracles in Matthew of exorcising a blinding demon the title “Son of David” is used.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature | Moncure Daniel Conway
British Dictionary definitions for passing
/ (ˈpɑːsɪŋ) /
transitory or momentary: a passing fancy
cursory or casual in action or manner: a passing reference
archaic to an extreme degree: the events were passing strange
a place where or means by which one may pass, cross, ford, etc
a euphemism for death
in passing by the way; incidentally: he 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
Browse