passing

American  

[pas-ing] / ˈpæs ɪŋ /

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.

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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.

idioms

1. in passing, by the way; incidentally.

   The speaker mentioned his latest book in passing.

passing British  

/ ˈpɑːsɪŋ /

adjective

1. transitory or momentary

   a passing fancy

2. cursory or casual in action or manner

   a passing reference

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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

Etymology

Origin of passing

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

Example Sentences

An independent trustee could make such decisions, based on your instructions, after you’re passing.

From MarketWatch

He said he had asked for "this information to be removed" before passing the report to the intelligence, security and cyber agency GCHQ.

From BBC

BB said she had stopped the car after passing Oki - and that all three men had gone to talk to her.

From BBC

With every passing minute, the frustration and helplessness grew heavier.

From Los Angeles Times

It is a story which started at the foot of steep cliffs in the Scottish Highlands in 2023 when a passing kayaker spotted a stranded sheep.

From BBC

Related Words

• cursory
• fleeting
• superficial