passing

1 of 3

noun

pass·​ing ˈpa-siŋ 

: the act of one that passes or causes to pass

especially : death sense 1a

see also:

in passing

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

Synonyms of passing

Noun

• death
• demise
• fate

Adjective

• flash
• brief
• temporary
• transient

Adverb

• very
• extremely
• incredibly
• terribly
• damn
• too
• damned
• so
• highly
• badly
• far
• desperately
• that
• really
• especially
• severely
• full
• seriously
• greatly
• such
• most
• real
• much
• jolly
• super
• wildly
• particularly
• heavily
• extra

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

Jackson's mentees also honored his legacy by organizing on issues such as voting rights, economic inequality and political organizing in the weeks after his passing. —ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026

This could spark criticism within Iran because the passing of authority from father to son defined the monarchy that was overthrown in the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which brought about the creation of the Islamic Republic. —Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Tight end Colston Loveland will also factor heavily into the passing game as Chicago surrounds Caleb Williams with young weapons on a similar career timeline. —Carter Bahns, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026

Little passing-game upside, and lacks breakaway speed. —Jake Ciely, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing passing

• buck-passing
• in 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