Pass Definition and Meaning
By Urooj Arif & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 5, 2024
Pass means to move or proceed, especially to or from a point or in a certain direction. e.g., The car passed the slower truck with ease.
Table of Contents
Pass Definitions
To go by or move beyond.
She passed the other runners in the final stretch of the race.
To be approved or succeed.
He was relieved to find out that he passed the exam.
To hand over or transfer.
Please pass the salt to the other end of the table.
To emit or discharge.
The factory chimney passed a thick plume of smoke.
To decline or refuse.
She decided to pass on the job offer in New York.
To surpass or exceed.
The athlete aimed to pass the current world record.
To enact or approve (as in legislation).
The senate passed the new healthcare bill.
To die.
The community mourned the passing of their beloved mayor.
To pronounce or declare.
The judge passed a sentence on the convicted felon.
To spend or use up.
They passed the afternoon playing games in the park.
To move on or ahead; proceed
The train passed through fields of wheat.
To extend; run
The river passes through our land.
To move by or in front of something
The band passed and the crowd cheered.
To move past another vehicle
The sports car passed on the right.
To gain passage despite obstacles
Pass through difficult years.
To move past in time; elapse
The days passed quickly.
To be transferred from one to another; circulate
The wine passed around the table.
(Sports) To transfer a ball or puck to a teammate.
To be communicated or exchanged between persons
Loud words passed in the corridor.
To be transferred or conveyed to another by will or deed
The title passed to the older heir.
To undergo transition from one condition, form, quality, or characteristic to another
Daylight passed into darkness.
To come to an end
My anger suddenly passed. The headache finally passed.
To cease to exist; die. Often used with on
The patient passed on during the night.
To happen; take place
Wanted to know what had passed at the meeting.
To be allowed to happen without notice or challenge
Let their rude remarks pass.
Sports & Games To decline one's turn to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.
To decline an offer
When we offered him dessert, he passed.
To undergo an examination or a trial with favorable results.
To serve as a barely acceptable substitute
The spare tire was nearly bald but would pass until we bought a new one.
To be accepted as a member of a group by denying one's own ancestry or background.
To be approved or adopted
The motion to adjourn passed.
To make a decision
To pass upon a legal question.
To convey property to an heir or heirs
To pass according to the terms of the will.
(Medicine) To be discharged from a bodily part
The patient had a lot of pain when the kidney stone passed.
(Sports) To thrust or lunge in fencing.
To go by without stopping; proceed beyond or leave behind
The bus passed a gas station.
To go across; go through
We passed the border into Mexico.
To allow to go by or elapse; spend
He passed his winter in Vermont.
To go by without paying attention to; disregard or ignore
If you pass the new photographs in the collection, you'll miss some outstanding ones.
To fail to pay (a dividend).
To go beyond; surpass
The inheritance passed my wildest dreams.
To undergo (a trial or examination) with favorable results
She passed every test.
To cause or allow to go through a trial, test, or examination successfully
The instructor passed all the candidates.
To cause to move
We passed our hands over the fabric.
To cause to move into a certain position
Pass a ribbon around a package.
To cause to move as part of a process
Pass liquid through a filter.
To cause to go by
The sergeant passed his troops before the grandstand.
To allow to cross a barrier
The border guard passed the tourists.
(Baseball) To walk (a batter).
To maneuver (the bull) by means of a pase in bullfighting.
To cause to be transferred from one to another; circulate
They passed the news quickly.
To hand over to someone else
Please pass the bread.
(Sports) To transfer (a ball, for example) to a teammate, as by throwing.
To cause to be accepted; circulate fraudulently
Pass counterfeit money.
(Law) To convey (property) to an heir or heirs
To pass an estate.
(Medicine) To discharge (a waste product, for example) from a bodily part.
(Medicine) To introduce (an instrument) into a bodily cavity.
To approve; adopt
The legislature passed the bill.
To be sanctioned, ratified, or approved by
The bill passed the House of Representatives.
To pronounce; utter
Pass judgment.
Pass sentence on an offender.
The act of passing; passage.
A way, such as a narrow gap between mountains, that affords passage around, over, or through a barrier.
A permit, ticket, or authorization to come and go at will.
A free ticket entitling one to transportation or admission.
Written leave of absence from military duty.
A passing grade, especially when graded using a pass-fail grading system.
A sweep or run, as by an aircraft, over or toward an area or target.
A single complete cycle of operations, as by a machine or computer program.
A condition or situation, often critical in nature; a predicament
Contract negotiations that had come to an emotional pass.
A sexual invitation or overture
Was he making a pass at her?.
A motion of the hand or the waving of a wand
The magician made a pass over the hat.
(Sports) A transfer of a ball or puck between teammates.
(Sports) A lunge or thrust in fencing.
(Baseball) A base on balls.
Sports & Games A refusal to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.
(Games) A winning throw of the dice in craps.
A pase in bullfighting.
To change place.
(intransitive) To move or be moved from one place to another.
They passed from room to room.
(transitive) To go past, by, over, or through; to proceed from one side to the other of; to move past.
You will pass a house on your right.
(ditransitive) To cause to move or go; to send; to transfer from one person, place, or condition to another.
The waiter passed biscuits and cheese.
John passed Suzie a note.
The torch was passed from hand to hand.
To eliminate (something) from the body by natural processes.
He was passing blood in both his urine and his stool.
The poison had been passed by the time of the autopsy.
To take a turn with (a line, gasket, etc.), as around a sail in furling, and make secure.
(sport) To make various kinds of movement.
(intransitive) To go from one person to another.
(transitive) To put in circulation; to give currency to.
Pass counterfeit money
To cause to obtain entrance, admission, or conveyance.
Pass a person into a theater or over a railroad
To put through a sieve.
When it's finished cooking, you should pass the sauce to get rid of any lumps.
To change in state or status
(intransitive) To progress from one state to another; to advance.
He passed from youth into old age.
(intransitive) To depart, to cease, to come to an end.
At first, she was worried, but that feeling soon passed.
(intransitive) To die.
His grandmother passed yesterday.
To achieve a successful outcome from.
He attempted the examination, but did not expect to pass.
Of the Ancient Wonders, only the pyramids have passed the test of time.
To advance through all the steps or stages necessary to become valid or effective; to obtain the formal sanction of (a legislative body).
Despite the efforts of the opposition, the bill passed.
The bill passed both houses of Congress.
The bill passed the Senate, but did not pass in the House.
To be conveyed or transferred by will, deed, or other instrument of conveyance.
The estate passes by the third clause in Mr Smith's deed to his son.
When the old king passed away with only a daughter as an heir, the throne passed to a woman for the first time in centuries.
(transitive) To cause to advance by stages of progress; to carry on with success through an ordeal, examination, or action; specifically, to give legal or official sanction to; to ratify; to enact; to approve as valid and just.
He passed the bill through the committee.
To make a judgment on or upon a person or case.
(transitive) To utter; to pronounce; to pledge.
(intransitive) To change from one state to another (without the implication of progression).
To move through time.
To elapse, to be spent.
Their vacation passed pleasantly.
To spend.
What will we do to pass the time?
(transitive) To go by without noticing; to omit attention to; to take no note of; to disregard.
(intransitive) To continue.
(intransitive) To proceed without hindrance or opposition.
You're late, but I'll let it pass.
(transitive) To live through; to have experience of; to undergo; to suffer.
(intransitive) To happen.
It will soon come to pass.
To be accepted.
To be tolerated as a substitute for something else, to "do".
It isn't ideal, but it will pass.
To be accepted by others as a member of a race, sex, or other group to which one does not belong or would not have originally appeared to belong; especially to be considered white although one has black ancestry, or a woman although one was assigned male at birth or vice versa.
To refrain from doing something.
(intransitive) To decline something that is offered or available.
He asked me to go to the cinema with him, but I think I'll pass.
(transitive) To reject; to pass up.
(intransitive) To decline or not attempt to answer a question.
I haven't any idea of the answer, so I'll have to pass.
(intransitive) In turn-based games, to decline to play in one's turn.
In euchre, to decline to make the trump.
To do or be better.
To go beyond bounds; to surpass; to be in excess.
(transitive) To transcend; to surpass; to excel; to exceed.
To take heed, to have an interest, to care.
An opening, road, or track, available for passing; especially, one through or over some dangerous or otherwise impracticable barrier such as a mountain range; a passageway; a defile; a ford.
Mountain pass
A channel connecting a river or body of water to the sea, for example at the mouth (delta) of a river.
The passes of the Mississippi
A single movement, especially of a hand, at, over, or along anything.
A single passage of a tool over something, or of something over a tool.
An attempt.
My first pass at a career of writing proved unsuccessful.
Success in an examination or similar test.
I gained three passes at A-level, in mathematics, French, and English literature.
(fencing) A thrust or push; an attempt to stab or strike an adversary.
(figuratively) A thrust; a sally of wit.
A sexual advance.
The man kicked his friend out of the house after he made a pass at his wife.
(sports) The act of moving the ball or puck from one player to another.
(rail transport) A passing of two trains in the same direction on a single track, when one is put into a siding to let the other overtake it.
Permission or license to pass, or to go and come.
A document granting permission to pass or to go and come; a passport; a ticket permitting free transit or admission
A railroad pass; a theater pass; a military pass
(baseball) An intentional walk.
Smith was given a pass after Jones' double.
(sports) The act of overtaking; an overtaking manoeuvre.
The state of things; condition; predicament; impasse.
(obsolete) Estimation; character.
(cookery) The area in a restaurant kitchen where the finished dishes are passed from the chefs to the waiting staff.
An act of declining to play one's turn in a game, often by saying the word "pass".
A pass would have seen her win the game, but instead she gave a wrong answer and lost a point, putting her in second place.
(computing) A run through a document as part of a translation, compilation or reformatting process.
Most Pascal compilers process source code in a single pass.
A password (especially one for a restricted-access website).
Anyone want to trade passes?
To go; to move; to proceed; to be moved or transferred from one point to another; to make a transit; - usually with a following adverb or adverbal phrase defining the kind or manner of motion; as, to pass on, by, out, in, etc.; to pass swiftly, directly, smoothly, etc.; to pass to the rear, under the yoke, over the bridge, across the field, beyond the border, etc.
On high behests his angels to and froPassed frequent.
Sweet sounds rose slowly through their mouths,And from their bodies passed.
To move or be transferred from one state or condition to another; to change possession, condition, or circumstances; to undergo transition; as, the business has passed into other hands.
Others, dissatisfied with what they have, . . . pass from just to unjust.
To move beyond the range of the senses or of knowledge; to pass away; hence, to disappear; to vanish; to depart; specifically, to depart from life; to die.
Disturb him not, let him pass paceably.
Beauty is a charm, but soon the charm will pass.
The passing of the sweetest soulThat ever looked with human eyes.
To move or to come into being or under notice; to come and go in consciousness; hence, to take place; to occur; to happen; to come; to occur progressively or in succession; to be present transitorily.
So death passed upon all men.
Our own consciousness of what passes within our own mind.
To go by or glide by, as time; to elapse; to be spent; as, their vacation passed pleasantly.
Now the time is far passed.
To go from one person to another; hence, to be given and taken freely; as, clipped coin will not pass; to obtain general acceptance; to be held or regarded; to circulate; to be current; - followed by for before a word denoting value or estimation.
False eloquence passeth only where true is not understood.
This will not pass for a fault in him.
To advance through all the steps or stages necessary to validity or effectiveness; to be carried through a body that has power to sanction or reject; to receive legislative sanction; to be enacted; as, the resolution passed; the bill passed both houses of Congress.
To go through any inspection or test successfully; to be approved or accepted; as, he attempted the examination, but did not expect to pass.
To be suffered to go on; to be tolerated; hence, to continue; to live along.
To go unheeded or neglected; to proceed without hindrance or opposition; as, we let this act pass.
To go beyond bounds; to surpass; to be in excess.
To take heed; to care.
As for these silken-coated slaves, I pass not.
To go through the intestines.
To be conveyed or transferred by will, deed, or other instrument of conveyance; as, an estate passes by a certain clause in a deed.
To make a lunge or pass; to thrust.
To decline to play in one's turn; in euchre, to decline to make the trump.
She would not play, yet must not pass.
To go by, beyond, over, through, or the like; to proceed from one side to the other of; as, to pass a house, a stream, a boundary, etc.
She loved me for the dangers I had passed.
To go by without noticing; to omit attention to; to take no note of; to disregard.
Please you that I may pass This doing.
I pass their warlike pomp, their proud array.
To cause to move or go; to send; to transfer from one person, place, or condition to another; to transmit; to deliver; to hand; to make over; as, the waiter passed bisquit and cheese; the torch was passed from hand to hand.
I had only time to pass my eye over the medals.
Waller passed over five thousand horse and foot by Newbridge.
To transcend; to surpass; to excel; to exceed.
And strive to pass . . . Their native music by her skillful art.
Whose tender powerPasses the strength of storms in their most desolate hour.
To cause to pass the lips; to utter; to pronounce; hence, to promise; to pledge; as, to pass sentence.
Father, thy word is passed.
To emit from the bowels; to evacuate.
To go successfully through, as an examination, trail, test, etc.; to obtain the formal sanction of, as a legislative body; as, he passed his examination; the bill passed the senate.
To cause to advance by stages of progress; to carry on with success through an ordeal, examination, or action; specifically, to give legal or official sanction to; to ratify; to enact; to approve as valid and just; as, he passed the bill through the committee; the senate passed the law.
To take a turn with (a line, gasket, etc.), as around a sail in furling, and make secure.
To make, as a thrust, punto, etc.
An opening, road, or track, available for passing; especially, one through or over some dangerous or otherwise impracticable barrier; a passageway; a defile; a ford; as, a mountain pass.
"Try not the pass!" the old man said.
A thrust or push; an attempt to stab or strike an adversary.
A movement of the hand over or along anything; the manipulation of a mesmerist.
A single passage of a bar, rail, sheet, etc., between the rolls.
State of things; condition; predicament.
Have his daughters brought him to this pass.
Matters have been brought to this pass.
Permission or license to pass, or to go and come; a psssport; a ticket permitting free transit or admission; as, a railroad or theater pass; a military pass.
A ship sailing under the flag and pass of an enemy.
Fig.: a thrust; a sally of wit.
Estimation; character.
Common speech gives him a worthy pass.
A part; a division.
In football, hockey, and other team sports, a transfer of the ball, puck, etc., to another player of one's own team, usually at some distance. In American football, the pass is through the air by an act of throwing the ball.
(baseball) an advance to first base by a batter who receives four balls;
He worked the pitcher for a base on balls
(military) a written leave of absence;
He had a pass for three days
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate;
The coach sent in a passing play on third and long
The location in a range of mountains of a geological formation that is lower than the surrounding peaks;
We got through the pass before it started to snow
Any authorization to pass or go somewhere;
The pass to visit had a strict time limit
A document indicating permission to do something without restrictions;
The media representatives had special passes
A flight or run by an aircraft over a target;
The plane turned to make a second pass
A bad or difficult situation or state of affairs
A difficult juncture;
A pretty pass
Matters came to a head yesterday
One complete cycle of operations (as by a computer);
It was not possible to complete the computation in a single pass
You advance to the next round in a tournament without playing an opponent;
He had a bye in the first round
A permit to enter or leave a military installation;
He had to show his pass in order to get out
A complementary (free) ticket;
The start got passes for his family
A usually brief attempt;
He took a crack at it
I gave it a whirl
(sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team;
The pass was fumbled
Success in satisfying a test or requirement;
His future depended on his passing that test
He got a pass in introductory chemistry
Go across or through;
We passed the point where the police car had parked
A terrible thought went through his mind
Pass by;
A black limousine passed by when she looked out the window
He passed his professor in the hall
One line of soldiers surpassed the other
Make laws, bills, etc. or bring into effect by legislation;
They passed the amendment
We cannot legislate how people's spend their free time
Pass by;
Three years elapsed
Place into the hands or custody of;
Hand me the spoon, please
Turn the files over to me, please
He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers
Stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point;
Service runs all the way to Cranbury
His knowledge doesn't go very far
My memory extends back to my fourth year of life
The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets
Travel past;
The sports car passed all the trucks
Come to pass;
What is happening?
The meeting took place off without an incidence
Nothing occurred that seemed important
Go unchallenged; be approved;
The bill cleared the House
Pass (time) in a specific way;
How are you spending your summer vacation?
Guide or pass over something;
He ran his eyes over her body
She ran her fingers along the carved figurine
He drew her hair through his fingers
Transmit information ;
Please communicate this message to all employees
Disappear gradually;
The pain eventually passed off
Go successfully through a test or a selection process;
She passed the new Jersey Bar Exam and can practice law now
Go beyond;
She exceeded our expectations
She topped her performance of last year
Accept or judge as acceptable;
The teacher passed the student although he was weak
Allow to go without comment or censure;
The insult passed as if unnoticed
Transfer to another; of rights or property;
Our house passed under his official control
Pass into a specified state or condition;
He sank into Nirvana
Be identified, regarded, accepted, or mistaken for someone or something else; as by denying one's own ancestry or background;
He could pass as his twin brother
She passed as a White woman even though her grandfather was Black
Throw (a ball) to another player;
Smith passed
Be inherited by;
The estate fell to my sister
The land returned to the family
The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead
Cause to pass;
She passed around the plates
Grant authorization or clearance for;
Clear the manuscript for publication
The rock star never authorized this slanderous biography
Pass from physical life and lose all all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life;
She died from cancer
They children perished in the fire
The patient went peacefully
Eliminate from the body;
Pass a kidney stone
Of advancing the ball by throwing it;
A team with a good passing attack
A pass play
Pass Snonyms
Navigate
To move on, through, or across (an area).
They navigated the forest with ease.
Exceed
To go beyond the limits of.
His enthusiasm exceeds his abilities.
Cross
To go or stretch from one side to the other.
She crossed the bridge to reach the city.
Overtake
To catch up with and pass while traveling in the same direction.
The faster car overtook the truck on the highway.
Transit
To pass or move through or across.
The ship transited through the canal.
Penetrate
To pass into or through.
The sunlight penetrated the dense forest.
Surpass
To exceed; be greater than.
His performance surpassed all expectations.
Traverse
To travel or move across, over, or through.
They traversed the mountain range on foot.
Bypass
To go around or avoid a place.
The new road bypasses the town.
Circumvent
To find a way around (an obstacle).
They found a way to circumvent the traffic jam.
Pass Idioms & Phrases
Pass judgment
To criticize or make a judgment about someone or something.
It's not fair to pass judgment without knowing all the facts.
Pass the time
To engage in an activity to make time go by faster.
I read a book to pass the time on the flight.
Pass the buck
To shift responsibility to someone else.
When the project failed, the manager tried to pass the buck to his team.
Pass the hat
To collect money from a group of people for a common cause.
We passed the hat to raise funds for the school trip.
Pass muster
To be accepted as satisfactory.
His final attempt at the cake didn't pass muster with the judges.
Pass oneself off as
To pretend to be someone or something one is not.
He tried to pass himself off as a doctor.
Pass the baton
To transfer responsibility.
The retiring director passed the baton to her successor.
Pass up
To decline or refuse an opportunity.
I couldn't pass up the chance to travel to Japan.
Pass away
A polite expression for dying.
Her grandmother passed away after a long illness.
Pass off as
To be accepted or mistaken for something else.
The fake painting passed off as genuine for years.
Pass out
To faint or lose consciousness.
He passed out from dehydration during the hike.
Come to pass
To happen or occur.
The predicted storm came to pass sooner than expected.
Pass on
To give something to someone else.
Please pass on this message to the rest of the team.
Pass the word
To spread a message or information.
Pass the word that the meeting starts at 10.
Pass by
To miss an opportunity.
Don't let this chance pass by without considering it.
Pass through
To travel or move through a place.
The new highway passes through several national parks.
Pass the test
To meet or exceed expectations or requirements.
The prototype passed the test with flying colors.
Pass over
To overlook or ignore.
He was passed over for the promotion.
Pass the torch
Similar to passing the baton, implying a transfer of duty or leadership.
The retiring CEO passed the torch to her protégé.
Pass under the radar
To go unnoticed or undetected.
The indie film passed under the radar but is a gem.
Pass Example Sentences
Can you pass this note to your brother?
Time seems to pass more slowly when you're waiting.
The law will likely pass with a strong majority.
They decided to pass over the controversial topic.
I pass the library on my way to school every day.
We watched the parade pass by from our balcony.
We'll pass through your town on our road trip.
Pass your papers to the front when you're finished.
I'll pass on dessert, I'm quite full already.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called "pass"?
"Pass" originates from the Latin word "passus," meaning "step" or "stretch," reflecting the idea of movement.
What is the verb form of "pass"?
The base verb form is "pass," with "passes," "passed," and "passing" as its other forms.
How do we divide "pass" into syllables?
"Pass" is a single syllable word, so it is not divided.
What is the third form of "pass"?
The third form is also "passed," used as the past participle.
How is "pass" used in a sentence?
"Pass" can be used to indicate movement, transfer, or success, e.g., Please pass the bread.
What is the first form of "pass"?
The first form is "pass," which is the base form of the verb.
What is the second form of "pass"?
The second form is "passed," which is the simple past tense.
How many syllables are in "pass"?
There is one syllable in "pass."
What is a stressed syllable in "pass"?
Since "pass" has only one syllable, that syllable is stressed: pass.
Is "pass" an adverb?
No, "pass" is not an adverb.
What is the root word of "pass"?
The root of "pass" is the Latin word "passus," meaning "step" or "stretch."
What part of speech is "pass"?
"Pass" is primarily used as a verb but can also function as a noun in certain contexts.
What is the pronunciation of "pass"?
"Pass" is pronounced as /pæs/.
What is another term for "pass"?
Another term for "pass" could be "surpass" or "transit," depending on the context.
Is the "pass" term a metaphor?
"Pass" can be used metaphorically in certain expressions, like "pass the torch."
Is "pass" a vowel or consonant?
The word "pass" starts with a consonant.
Which preposition is used with "pass"?
Prepositions like "through," "by," and "over" can be used with "pass," depending on the context.
What is the singular form of "pass"?
The singular form is "pass."
Is "pass" a noun or adjective?
"Pass" is primarily a verb but can be used as a noun. It is not an adjective.
Is "pass" an abstract noun?
As a noun, "pass" can refer to a physical document or action, so it is not typically abstract.
Is "pass" a countable noun?
Yes, when used as a noun, "pass" is countable (e.g., ski passes, hall passes).
Is the word "pass" Gerund?
"Passing" is the gerund form of the verb "pass."
Is the word “pass” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Pass" can be used in sentences where it is the action done to a direct object, e.g., "Pass the ball."
Which determiner is used with "pass"?
Determiners like "a," "the," "my," or "your" can be used with "pass," depending on the context.
Which vowel is used before "pass"?
The vowel used before "pass" depends on the article or adjective, e.g., "an easy pass."
Which conjunction is used with "pass"?
Conjunctions like "and" or "but" can be used with "pass," depending on sentence construction.
What is the plural form of "pass"?
The plural form is "passes."
What is the opposite of "pass"?
An opposite of "pass" could be "fail" or "decline," depending on the context.
Is "pass" a negative or positive word?
"Pass" can be either, depending on the context. It is neutral on its own.
Is "pass" a collective noun?
No, "pass" is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is the word "pass" imperative?
"Pass" can be used in the imperative mood, e.g., "Pass the salt."
Which article is used with "pass"?
The articles "a" or "the" can be used with "pass," depending on specificity, e.g., "a pass" or "the pass."
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
