passing

1 of 3

noun

pass·​ing ˈpa-siŋ 

: the act of one that passes or causes to pass

especially : death sense 1a

passing

2 of 3

adjective

1

: going by or past

a passing pedestrian

2

: having a brief duration

a passing whim

3

obsolete : surpassing

4

: superficial

a passing acquaintance

a passing resemblance

5

a

: of, relating to, or used in or for the act or process of passing

passing lanes

b

: given on satisfactory completion of an examination or course of study

a passing grade

passing

3 of 3

adverb

: to a surpassing degree : exceedingly

passing strange

Phrases

in passing

: by the way : incidentally

Synonyms

Noun

• curtains
• death
• decease
• demise
• dissolution
• doom
• end
• exit
• expiration
• expiry
• fate
• grave
• great divide
• passage
• quietus
• sleep

Adjective

• brief
• deciduous
• ephemeral
• evanescent
• flash
• fleeting
• fugacious
• fugitive
• impermanent
• momentary
• short-lived
• temporary
• transient
• transitory

Adverb

• achingly
• almighty
• archly
• awful
• awfully
• badly
• beastly
• blisteringly
• bone
• colossally
• corking
• cracking
• damn
• damned
• dang
• deadly
• desperately
• eminently
• enormously
• especially
• ever
• exceedingly
• exceeding
• extra
• extremely
• fabulously
• fantastically
• far
• fiercely
• filthy
• frightfully
• full
• greatly
• heavily
• highly
• hugely
• immensely
• incredibly
• intensely
• jolly
• majorly
• mightily
• mighty
• monstrous [chiefly dialect]
• mortally
• most
• much
• particularly
• rattling
• real
• really
• right
• roaring
• roaringly
• seriously
• severely
• so
• sore
• sorely
• spanking
• specially
• stinking
• such
• super
• supremely
• surpassingly
• terribly
• that
• thumping
• too
• unco
• uncommonly
• vastly
• very
• vitally
• way
• whacking
• wicked
• wildly

Examples of passing in a Sentence

Noun

After her husband's passing, she moved to a smaller house.

We all mourned his passing.

Adjective

Someone called out from a passing car.

She sells flowers to passing motorists.

Let's hope that these shoes are just a passing fad.

a passing phase in childhood

Adverb

a passing strange turn of events

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After Westwood’s passing in 2022, Kronthaler not only continued to lead the house’s creative direction but also became one of its inheritors, ensuring that the brand’s evolution remains as radical and relevant as its origins. —Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025

Following the passing of his previous mate, Zeus fathered five cygnets in 2019. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025

Adjective

Although threats were made in 2024, the ability to make good on those threats has certainly diminished in 2025 and appear to decrease with every passing day. —Joshua D. Smeltzer, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025

With each passing week, the UEFA Conference League is growing in importance for Chelsea and their head coach Enzo Maresca. —Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing passing

• mention only in passing
• more than a passing acquaintance with
• passing fancy
• passing game
• passing lane
• passing note
• passing shot
• with each passing hour
• with each passing month

Rhymes for passing

• classing
• gassing
• massing
• amassing
• bypassing
• harassing
• outgassing
• repassing
• surpassing
• trespassing

Kids Definition

passing

1 of 2 noun

pass·​ing ˈpas-iŋ 

1

: the act of one that passes or causes to pass

2

: death sense 1

passing

2 of 2 adjective

1

: going by or past

the passing crowd

2

: lasting only for a short time

especially : showing haste or lack of attention : hasty, superficial

a passing glance

3

: used for the act or process of passing

the passing lane

4

: given on satisfactory completion of an examination or course of study

a passing grade