passing

noun

The fact of going past; a movement from one place to another or a change from one state to another.

Death, dying; the end of something.

(law) The act of approving a bill etc.

(sports) The act of passing a ball etc. to another player.

(sociology) The ability of a person to be regarded as a member of an identity group or category different from their own.

A form of juggling where several people pass props between each other, usually clubs or rings.

adjective

Going past.

That passes away; ephemeral.

Vague, cursory.

That passes in any sense.

(now rare, literary) Pre-eminent, excellent, extreme.

adverb

(literary or archaic) Surpassingly, greatly.

Roots

passuspass- · Latin · step, pace

Synonyms for passing

passagen fugaciousadj rushingn expirationn departuren transientadj goingn transitoryadj exitn

Words related to passing

overtakingn passesv passedv passern repass transitingn traversingv elapsingv interceptingn transitedn oncomingadj crossingn transilientadj passerbyn onrushingn rushern traject approachingn stoppingn

Synonyms & related words for passing

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of passing — including passage, fugacious, rushing, expiration, departure, transient. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to passing

Explore words related to passing — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include overtaking, passes, passed, passer, repass, transiting, traversing, elapsing. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for passing

Common synonyms for passing include passage, fugacious, rushing, expiration, departure, transient, going, transitory — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does passing come from?

The word passing breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root pass-, from Latin passus (“step, pace”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.