pass

verb

ˈpas 

passed; passing; passes

intransitive verb

1

: move, proceed, go

The boat was too tall to pass under the bridge.

2

a

: to go away : depart

… the fright passes almost immediately …

—Fred Majdalany

b

: die

—often used with on

Her parents have passed on.

3

a

: to move in a path so as to approach and continue beyond something : move past

especially : to move past another vehicle going in the same direction

glowered at the other driver as we passed

b

: to run the normal course

—used of time or a period of time

the hours pass quickly

4

a

: to go or make one's way through

allow no one to pass

b

: to go uncensured, unchallenged, or seemingly unnoticed

let the remark pass

5

: to go from one quality, state, or form to another

passes from a liquid to a gaseous state

6

a

: to sit in inquest (see inquest sense 1) or judgment

b(1)

: to render a decision, verdict, or opinion

the court passed on the legality of wiretapping

(2)

: to become legally rendered

judgment passed for the plaintiff

7

: to go from the control, ownership, or possession of one person or group to that of another

the throne passed to the king's son

title passes to the buyer upon payment in full

8

a

: happen, occur

… commenting freely on the transactions as they pass.

—W. L. Sperry

b

: to take place or be exchanged as or in a social, personal, or business interaction

words passed

9

a

: to become approved by a legislature or body empowered to sanction or reject

the proposal passed

b

: to undergo an inspection, test, or course of study successfully

took the examination and passed

10

a

: to serve as a medium of exchange

b

: to be accepted or regarded

drivel that passes for literature

c

: to identify oneself or be identified as something one is not

tried to pass as an adult

Mom could pass as my sister

11

a

obsolete : to make a pass (see pass entry 3 sense 5) in fencing

b

: to throw or hit a ball or puck to a teammate

—often used with off

took the ball and quickly passed off to a teammate

12

a(1)

: to decline to bid, double, or redouble in a card game

Her bridge partner passed.

(2)

: to withdraw from the current poker pot

b

: to let something go by without accepting or taking advantage of it

thanks for the offer, but I'll pass

—often used with on

passed on the cheesecake

transitive verb

1

: to go beyond: such as

a

: surpass, exceed

passes all expectations

b

: to advance or develop beyond

c

: to go past (one moving in the same direction)

passed a slower moving car

2

a

: to go by : proceed or extend beyond

pass the school on their way to work

b(1)

obsolete : neglect, omit

(2)

: to omit a regularly scheduled declaration and payment of (a dividend)

3

a

: to go across, over, or through : cross

b

: to live through (something, such as an experience or peril) : undergo

c

: to go through (something, such as a test) successfully

passed the final exams of his courses

4

a

: to secure the approval of

the bill passed the Senate

b

: to cause or permit to win approval or legal or official sanction

pass a law

c

: to give approval or a passing grade to

pass the students

5

a

: to let (time or a period of time) go by especially while involved in a leisure activity

I'll read to pass the time

b

: to let go unnoticed : overlook, disregard

His commander quietly passed his likes or dislikes.

—George Meredith

6

a

: pledge

had passed his word that he would repay the debt

b

: to transfer the right to or property in

pass title to a house

7

a

: to put in circulation

pass bad checks

b(1)

: to transfer or transmit from one to another

pass the salt

passing the savings on to customers

(2)

: to relay or communicate (something, such as information) to another

c

: to cause or enable to go : transport

… waited till the soldiers and wounded were all passed over …

—Walt Whitman

d

: to throw or hit (a ball or puck) especially to a teammate

—often used with off

passed the ball off to his teammate

8

a

: to pronounce (something, such as a sentence or opinion) especially judicially

passed sentence on the convicted man

b

: utter

passed a cutting remark

9

a

: to cause or permit to go past or through a barrier

passed the detectives to view the crime scene

b

: to move or cause to move in a particular manner or direction

passed my hand over my face

pass the rope through the loop

c

: to cause to march or go by in order

pass the troops in review

10

: to emit or discharge from a bodily part and especially the bowels

11

a

: to give a base on balls to

passed two batters

b

: to hit a ball past (an opponent) in a game (such as tennis)

passer noun

see also:

pass muster pass the buck pass the hat pass the time of day

Synonyms of pass

• hand
• reach

Examples of pass in a Sentence

The boat was too tall to pass beneath the bridge.

A flock of geese were passing overhead.

They pass the library every morning on their way to school.

The ships passed each other in the night.

We passed each other in the hallway without looking up.

She passed two other runners just before the finish line.

He passed the slower cars on the highway.

The drug passes quickly into the bloodstream.

In a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and the Earth.

The airplane passed out of sight.

Recent Examples on the Web

The funding comes from California’s Senate Bill 1 program, the gas tax passed in 2017 that helps cities and counties pay for transportation projects. —Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026

It was closed in 1994 due to deterioration, and Kansas City residents passed a limited-run sales tax to support the building's restoration in 1998. —Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026

And with a little more than one month of legislative working days before the 2026 elections, Republicans would have to move at a breakneck pace to craft, debate, and pass a measure that could garner near-total GOP unity. —Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 9 June 2026

Iran has since claimed authority to determine which ships can pass through the strait and set up a toll booth system for inspection and crypto payments, while periodically attacking commercial ships, using attack drones, missiles, and small boats. —Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French passer, from Vulgar Latin *passare, from Latin passus step — more at pace

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing pass

• backstage pass
• band-pass filter
• boarding pass
• bounce pass
• bus pass
• come to pass
• drop pass
• forward pass
• Hail Mary pass
• hall pass
• hard pass
• inbounds pass
• jump pass
• make a pass at
• outlet pass
• pass as
• pass away
• pass by
• pass degree
• pass-fail
• pass for
• pass into history
• pass into law
• pass into the hands of
• pass it on
• pass judgment on
• pass muster
• pass off
• pass on
• pass out
• pass over
• pass sentence
• pass (someone or something) off as
• pass someone's lips
• pass (something) down
• pass (something) in
• pass the buck
• pass the hat
• pass the time
• pass the time of day
• pass the torch (on)
• pass-through
• pass-through entity
• pass unnoticed
• pass up
• pass water
• play-action pass
• screen pass
• shovel pass
• spot pass
• Take a hard pass
• take a pass
• took a pass
• took a pass on
• will pass

Rhymes for pass

• ass
• bass
• bras
• brass
• casse
• chasse
• class
• crass
• das
• dass
• frass
• gas

Kids Definition

pass

1 of 3 verb

ˈpas 

1

: move entry 1 sense 2, proceed

2

a

: to go away

the pain will soon pass

b

: die entry 1 sense 1

—often used with on

3

: to go by or beyond or move past

4

: to go or allow to go across, over, or through

let no one pass

5

: to change or transfer ownership or possession

recipes passed down through the family

6

: happen sense 2, occur

7

a

: to gain the approval of a legislative body

the bill passed both houses

b

: to approve officially

pass a new law

8

: to go or allow to go through an examination or course of study successfully

passed my French course

9

: to cause to be considered

passed for an expert

10

: to transfer or become transferred from one person to another

pass the butter

pass a football

11

: to decide not to bid, bet, or draw in a card game

12

: to cause or permit to elapse : spend

pass time

13

: to state judicially

pass sentence

passer noun

pass

2 of 3 noun

1

: passage sense 2a, way

2

: a gap in a mountain range

pass

3 of 3 noun

1

: the act or an instance of passing : passage

2

: accomplishment sense 1, realization

—used in the phrases come to pass and bring to pass

3

: situation sense 3, condition

have come to a strange pass

4

: a written permission to enter or leave or to move about freely

a soldier's three-day pass

5

: a moving of the hands over or along something

6

: a transfer of a ball or puck from one player to another

especially : forward pass

7

: base on balls

8

: an act of passing in a card game

9

: effort sense 2, try

make a pass at it

Medical Definition

pass

transitive verb

ˈpas 

: to emit or discharge from a bodily part and especially from the bowels : evacuate sense 2, void

Legal Definition

pass

intransitive verb

1

a

: to issue a decision, verdict, or opinion

the Supreme Court passed on a statute

b

: to be legally issued

judgment passed by default

2

: to go from the control, ownership, or possession of one person or group to that of another

title passes to the buyer

transitive verb

1

: to omit a regularly scheduled declaration and payment of (a dividend)

2

a

: to get the approval of

the bill passed the House

b

: to give approval or legal sanction to

the House passed the bill

3

: to transfer the right to or interest in

the sale passes the title to the goods

4

: to put in circulation

pass bad checks

compare utter

5

: to pronounce (as a sentence or judgment) judicially