Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

pass away

verb

Definition of pass away

  1. intransitive verb

  2. 1 :  to go out of existence

  3. 2 :  die 1

See pass away defined for kids

People Are Reading

image599301899
Pretty in 'Pink'
decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?
istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
June 2017 Words of the Day Quiz
alt-594d2b6325245
'Pride': The Word That Went From Vice to Strength

Examples of pass away in a Sentence

  1. the old woman passed away quietly

13th Century

First Known Use of pass away

13th century

pass away Synonyms

Synonyms
check out, conk (out), croak [slang], decease, demise, depart, drop, end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, go, kick in [slang], kick off [slang], pass (on), die, part, peg out [chiefly British], perish, pop off, step out, succumb
Antonyms
breathe, live
Related Words
predecease; consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
Near Antonyms
come to, revive; linger; be, exist, subsist; flourish, prosper, thrive

Learn More about pass away

  1. See words that rhyme with pass away Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pass away Nglish: Translation of pass away for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pass away for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up pass away? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

argy-bargy

play

a lively discussion

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. surrogate mother From TMZ to the dictionary.

  2. zealot A fanatical partisan

  3. stonewall to be uncooperative, obstructive, or evasive

  4. scurrilous Containing obscenities, abuse, or slander

  5. depose That word might not mean what you think it means.

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

pass away

WORD GAMES

Take a 3-minute break and test your skills!

  • istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
  • Which is a synonym of garner?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Add Diction

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-594d2b6325245
'Pride': The Word That Went From Vice to Strength

Do you take pride in Pride?

image599301899
Pink: The Color that Will Change Your Life

From Fuchsia to Baker-Miller Pink

image2144101468
That Sucks Word Alternatives

Your day is the worst. Your vocabulary is the best.

alt-5931949575ca5
'All the Feels,' All the Time

Once more, with 'feels'

Ask the Editors

decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

serial-comma
The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
June 2017 Words of the Day Quiz

Summer's first WOTD quiz.

Take the quiz
alt-5941ad7527c3c
Yearbook Superlatives Quiz

Is that your picture under "Largest Vocabulary"?

Take the quiz
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz
Add Diction
Add Diction

Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.

Play the game
Examples: pass away in a Sentence