pass

PAS/pæs/UKPAHS/pɑːs/

Verbpasses, passing, passed

Noun pluralpasses

54 meanings of pass

Practice

1
go pastverbtransitive
To move from one place to another, or to go past or through something.
On your way to school, you'll pass a big park.
We passed the station without stopping.
UsageSay pass a place or pass a person.
Similarovertake
2
hand oververb
To hand or give something to another person.
Pass me the salt, please.
My grandpa quietly passed me a twenty-dollar bill under the table.
UsageSay pass me the salt or pass the salt to me.
Similargive, hand, send, transfer, deliver
Note
3
succeed (test)verbtransitive or intransitive
To succeed in a test or exam.
She passed her driving test at the second attempt.
I hope to pass this time.
UsageDo not mix up take a test (do it) and pass a test (succeed).
Similarsucceed, clear
Oppositefail
4
approve (law)verbtransitive
To officially agree to a law or plan, usually by voting, or to be agreed to in this way.
Congress passed the new law after a long debate.
The council will pass the budget next week.
UsageSay pass a law or the law was passed.
Similarapprove, adopt, enact, ratify
Oppositereject, veto, defeat
5
nouncountable
In sport, the act of sending the ball to a teammate.
A long pass found the winger unmarked.
Short passes kept the ball on the ground.
UsageSay make a pass or a pass to someone.
6
dieverbintransitive
To die, said in a gentle way.
Our old cat passed peacefully in her sleep last week.
When I pass, give the ring to Anna.
UsagePeople often say pass away.
Similardie, expire, perish, decease, succumb
7
time goes byverbintransitive
To go by, used about time.
Their holiday passed pleasantly.
The hours pass slowly in hospital.
UsageWrite the week passed (not ~~incorrect: the week past~~).
Similarelapse, go (entry)
8
mountain routenouncountable
A road or path through or over mountains.
The army crossed the mountain pass before the snow.
All the passes were blocked by January.
UsageSay cross a mountain pass.
Similargap, notch
Note
9
ticketnouncountable
Permission to go into or through a place, or a card or ticket that lets you in or lets you travel.
Show your pass at the gate.
Theater passes were handed out to the cast's families.
UsageSay bus pass or boarding pass.
Similarpermit, ticket, authorization
10
declineverbintransitive
To say no to something offered, or to skip your turn in a game.
He asked me to the cinema, but I think I'll pass.
I'll pass on dessert, thanks.
UsageSay I'll pass or I'll pass on dessert to say no.
Similardecline, refuse
Oppositeaccept
11
be oververbintransitive
To come to an end or stop.
She was worried at first, but the feeling soon passed.
Storms pass, the old sailor said.
UsageSay it will pass about a bad feeling.
Similarfade, subside, end, lift, disappear
Oppositepersist, linger, last
Note
12
ball to teammateverbtransitive
In sport, to kick, throw or hit the ball to a teammate.
Pass the ball to the winger.
Brady passed to nine different receivers.
UsageSay pass the ball to someone.
Note

Less common meanings

13
overlookverbliterarytransitive
To let something go by without saying anything about it.
Please you that I may pass / This doing.
c. 1608, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”Here, pass means let go by without notice or comment.
I pass their warlike pomp, their proud array.
1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”Here, pass means to pass over and say nothing about.
Similarignore, disregard, neglect, discount
Oppositeheed, notice
Note
14
spend (time)verbtransitive
To spend a period of time in some way.
We played cards to pass the time on the long train ride.
She passed a happy hour with the newspaper.
UsageSay to pass the time on a long trip.
Similarspend, fill, occupy
Note
15
change intoverbintransitive
To move or change from one state to another.
The sky passed from pink to dark blue as the sun set.
Water can pass from ice to steam in minutes.
UsageSay the sky passed from pink to blue.
Similarturn, change, transition, progress
16
verbtransitive
To say something, often in an official way, or to give your promise.
The judge will pass sentence next week.
He passed a rude remark about my shoes.
UsageSay pass judgment on someone or pass sentence.
Similarsay, utter, pronounce
Note
17
verbintransitive
Used with for or as: to be thought to be someone or something that you are not.
She is thirty but could easily pass for a college student.
The fake watch passed as real until a jeweler looked at it closely.
UsageSay she could pass for twenty.
18
sexual advancenouncountable
An attempt to start something sexual with someone, often in 'make a pass at'.
He made a pass at his friend's wife.
One clumsy pass and the evening was over.
Similarproposition
19
leave the bodyverbtransitive or intransitive
In medicine, to get rid of something from the body naturally.
He was passing blood in his urine.
Small stones pass without surgery.
UsageDoctors say pass blood or pass a stone.
Similarvoid, evacuate
Note
20
exam successnouncountable
A successful result in an exam.
I gained three passes at A-level.
A pass in maths is required for the course.
UsageSay a pass in maths.
Oppositefail, failure
21
happenverbintransitive
To happen or take place.
We'll have to wait and see whether the changes ever come to pass.
Nobody remembers what passed at that meeting.
UsageSay it came to pass or what passed between them.
Similarhappen, occur, befall, chance
Note
22
single sweepnouncountable
One sweeping movement, mostly of the hand.
The magician made a slow pass over the hat with his hand.
With one quick pass of his hand, he wiped the dust off the table.
Similarstroke, sweep, swipe, movement
23
round of worknouncountable
A try at doing something.
The editor took a quick pass at my article and fixed the typos.
Take another pass at the essay tomorrow.
Similarattempt, try, go (entry), shot, stab
24
overtakingnouncountable
In racing, the act of going past someone ahead of you.
A clean pass on the straight put him second.
Three passes in two laps won the race.
Similarovertake
Note
25
be taken forverbintransitive
To be seen by other people as part of a group, such as a race or gender, without them noticing your background.
She had to know whether she could pass as a woman.
In the novel, she passed as white for most of her adult life.
UsageSay pass as white or pass as a woman.
Note
26
be acceptedverbintransitive
To go on without being stopped or questioned.
His strange excuse did not pass without questions from his boss.
The remark passed unchallenged.
Similargo (entry), slide
27
verbintransitive
To go on, to continue.
Similarcontinue
Oppositecease, stop
28
verbtransitive
To put money or something like it into use, often fake money or a forged check.
They tried to pass counterfeit money at the market.
He passed forged checks for years.
Similarcirculate
29
verbintransitive
To be good enough, even though it is not really what you wanted.
This old chair isn't pretty, but it'll pass.
The soup needs more salt, but for a quick dinner it will pass.
UsageUsually in it will pass or it'll pass.
Similardo, suffice, serve
30
verbtransitive
To be greater or better than something, or to go past its limits.
By noon, the temperature had passed 100 degrees.
This year, the number of visitors may pass one million.
Similarexceed, surpass, excel, outdo, beat
Note
31
nouncountable
The state things have reached, often a bad situation with no easy way out.
Things have come to a sorry pass when old friends won't even say hello.
How did the club come to such a pass that no one wants to join?
UsageSay things have come to a sorry pass.
Similarcondition, state, predicament
Note
32
noun
One time that a computer program goes all the way through a document to change or translate it.
33
verb
To wrap a rope around something and tie it.
34
verb
To kick the ball carefully, not hard.
35
verb
To move forward suddenly or swing at someone to try to hit them.
36
verb
To be handed over to a new owner or holder.
37
verb
To let a person get in or travel.
38
verb
To press or pour food through a strainer or mesh.
39
verb
To go to a new owner through a will or other legal paper.
40
verb
To change into a different state or form.
41
verb
To go through an experience, often a hard one.
42
verb
To skip a question instead of answering it.
43
verb
To turn down the chance to name the trump suit in euchre.
44
verbobsolete
To care about something.
As for these silken-coated slaves, I pass not.
1591, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt,”
45
noun
A channel that links a river or other body of water with the sea.
46
noun
One move of a tool across a surface.
47
noun
A quick push of a weapon at an enemy, to stab or hit them.
48
noun
A clever, sharp joke.
49
noun
When a train on a one-track line pulls aside so the train behind it can pass.
50
noun
A walk to first base given to a batter on purpose in baseball.
51
nounobsolete
How people think of someone.
52
noun
The place where cooks give food to waiters.
53
noun
Choosing not to play your turn in a game.
54
nounslang
A password.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of pass apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–4, 6–7, 10–17, 19, 21, 25–30

From Old French passer, meaning "to step, walk, or pass," which came from Latin passus, "a step."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

English pass derives from Old French passer, meaning 'to step, walk, or pass'. en.wiktionary.org
Old French passer ultimately derives from Latin passus, meaning 'a step'. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 5, 8–9, 18, 20, 22–24, 31

From Middle English pas, which came from passen, "to pass."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Pass derives from Middle English pas. en.wiktionary.org
Middle English pas derives from passen, meaning “to pass.” en.wiktionary.org