passing

1 of 3

noun

pass·​ing ˈpa-siŋ How to pronounce passing (audio)
: 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
After failing to find suitable facilities in the south of France, preparations were being made on Monday for a 50-strong delegation from the club to establish a training camp in the Italian capital when news broke of the passing of Pope Francis. Tom Williams, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 On Sunday night, Love announced the passing of his father. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
No more passing responsibility onto your upstream providers or downstream users. Stephanie Domas, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025 More funding than ever is being dedicated to better connectivity and more energy, and new projects are sprouting up everywhere with each passing moment. Giuseppe Incitti, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for passing

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of passing was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Passing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passing. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

passing

1 of 2 noun
pass·​ing ˈpas-iŋ How to pronounce passing (audio)
1
: the act of one that passes or causes to pass
2

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

More from Merriam-Webster on passing

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