- present participle of pass.
passing
Americanadjective
-
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.
adverb
noun
-
the act of a person or thing that passes or causes something to pass.
-
a means or place of passage.
idioms
adjective
-
transitory or momentary
a passing fancy
-
cursory or casual in action or manner
a passing reference
adverb
noun
-
a place where or means by which one may pass, cross, ford, etc
-
a euphemism for death
-
by the way; incidentally
he mentioned your visit in passing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of passing
First recorded in 1275–1325; pass + -ing 1 for the noun senses; pass + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses
Explanation
Something that's passing happens very quickly. If you give someone a passing glance, you look so briefly in their direction that you barely see them. Passing is one of those versatile words with many different uses. A passing reference is a light, brief mention of something, and a passing grade is one that's high enough for you to pass a test. As a noun, passing often means "the end of something," like the passing of an era — while the passing of a person means death. When you talk about something "in passing," you mention it in a casual way.
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.
Passing the bill would also start to relieve a logjam of legislation that Congress is seeking to dispose of before its August recess and the November midterm elections.
From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026
According to “The Passing of Alien Suffrage” by Leon E. Aylsworth, at least 22 states allowed non-citizens to vote during the 19th-century.
From Salon • May 26, 2026
Passing the committee were two other Pérez bills.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
Passing helicopters have reportedly diverted from routine routes to take a closer look, while guests often arrive with little idea of what awaits them.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Passing through the meadow, I came upon a small brown bird that had fallen from its nest on a branch overhead.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
