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

I also learned that, sadly, my body would have rid itself of some of these chemicals during pregnancy, by passing it on to my babies.

Read more on BBC

Every day, the brain turns passing impressions, creative sparks, and emotional experiences into lasting memories that shape our identity and guide our decisions.

Read more on Science Daily

It was like a fire bucket brigade, with workers passing the melons down the line to be placed into large boxes on a flatbed, a process the owner called “pitching.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

USC opened the game without its top two weapons in the passing game on the field, as Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane were held out of the first quarter for disciplinary reasons.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"The greatest directors and cinematographers are passing on their know-how," Kael said, citing "Rise of the Raven", a Hungarian co-produced historical TV series released this year.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• cursory 
• fleeting 
• superficial