passing

[pas-ing]

adjective

1. going by or past; elapsing.

   He was feeling better with each passing day.

2. brief, fleeting, or fortuitous; transitory.

   to take a passing fancy to something.

3. done, given, etc., in passing; cursory.

   a passing mention.

4. surpassing, preeminent, or extreme.

5. indicating satisfactory performance in a course, on a paper, in a test, etc..

   a passing grade on a test.

6. 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.

7. 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.

adverb

1. surpassingly; exceedingly; very.

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that passes or causes something to pass.

2. a means or place of passage.

passing

/ ˈpɑːsɪŋ /

adjective

1. transitory or momentary

   a passing fancy

2. cursory or casual in action or manner

   a passing reference

adverb

1. archaic,  to an extreme degree

   the events were passing strange

noun

1. a place where or means by which one may pass, cross, ford, etc

2. a euphemism for death

3. by the way; incidentally

   he mentioned your visit in passing

Other Word Forms

• passingly adverb
• passingness noun
• unpassing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of passing¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; pass + -ing ¹ for the noun senses; pass + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in passing, by the way; incidentally.

   The speaker mentioned his latest book in passing.

Example Sentences

“We just do our best to keep on passing the baton and find a way to win.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At the front of the room stood the bishop, who blessed the bread and water in Spanish before passing the trays around for the congregation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

What sprouts up is a portrait of devotion, love and respect, of time passing and roles reversing.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

At the time, the city was engulfed in regular protests over the erosion of free speech and assembly rights, which culminated in China passing a security law to crack down on dissent.

Read more on BBC

Budgets are about priorities and values, so it isn’t surprising that passing a spending plan is difficult for a political configuration that is so deeply divided on priorities and values.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• cursory 
• fleeting 
• superficial