Synonyms of past

past 1 of 3

noun

as in history

the events or experience of former times

we spent a pleasant evening recalling the past together

Synonyms & Similar Words

• history
• yesterday
• yesteryear
• yore
• annals
• record
• auld lang syne
• bygone
• flashback
• antiquity
• memoir
• chronicle
• long ago

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• future
• tomorrow
• now
• present
• today
• moment
• offing
• futurity
• hereafter
• by-and-by

past

2 of 3

adjective

ˈpast 

as in former

having been such at some previous time

a past editor of the newspaper

Synonyms & Similar Words

• former
• old
• other
• erstwhile
• late
• once
• sometime
• onetime
• bygone
• defunct
• whilom
• quondam
• gone
• vanished
• long-ago
• expired
• departed
• extinct
• dead

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• present
• current
• contemporary
• ongoing
• future
• present-day
• prospective
• extant
• coming
• unborn

past

3 of 3

preposition

1

as in over

on or to the farther side of

I drive past the school every day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• over
• beyond
• outside
• on the far side of

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inside

2

as in after

subsequent to in time or order

it's ten minutes past six o'clock

Synonyms & Similar Words

• after
• behind
• following
• since
• below
• après
• next to

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• of
• before
• prior to
• to
• previous to
• ahead of
• toward
• afore
• ere

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of past

Noun

Its obvious that Willis finds himself in a different position than year’s past. — Miami Herald, 25 July 2026

Commander Chancellor Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) returns to educate the next generation of cadets, with Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) becoming the personification of Ake’s attempt to fix a mistake from her past. — Matt Minton, Variety, 25 July 2026

Adjective

When reached for comment about the Vances’ plans for parental leave, the VP’s office referred PEOPLE to JD’s past comments to NBC. — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026

Pentagon press briefings were held regularly during past US conflicts, and military leaders often expressed respect (even if begrudgingly) for the media’s role and responsibility to inform service members, their families and the rest of the country. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

Preposition

The side have not progressed past the group stages since winning the competition in 2006, but won the 2020 European Championship under Roberto Mancini. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Are organizing detailed financial paperwork and verifying essential tax relief documents for an audit or past filing review. — Nick Perry, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Phrases Containing past

• past master
• run past