pass

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /pɑːs/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /pæs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

Plain form pass

Third-person singular passes

Past tense passed

Past participle passed

Present participle passing

1. (transitive & intransitive) If you pass something, it was ahead of you and you move so that it is now behind you.

   Please, step to the right and let faster people pass on your left.

   She was so close to the road that she could feel the wind from passing cars.

   He looked in as he passed the window.

   We passed through the tunnel and were back out into the light.

   She passed her hand across her face.

   He passed the belt through the loops in his pants.

   Did you see two people pass this way, a man and a woman, walking north?

2. (law) (transitive & intransitive) If a bill, law, motion, etc. passes, it is accepted, usually after a vote.

   The House passed a law that makes it a crime to have sex with anyone under age 16.

3. (transitive & intransitive) If you pass a test, exam, etc., you get a score that is good enough, often over 50%.

   You passed the test. In fact, you got 7 out of 10 correct.

4. (transitive & intransitive) If time passes, it moves from future to past.

   I'm bored here. The only thing that helps me pass the time is your letters.

   They passed the night in a hotel just outside town.

5. (transitive & intransitive) If a road, river, railway, etc. passes a place, it continues from one side of the place to the other side.

   They are building a 150-kilometer road that passes through Yasuni Park.

   The road from Karachi to Gadani passes the route once taken by Alexander the Great.

6. (transitive & intransitive) If you pass something to someone, you give it to them, usually by hand.

   Could you pass me the salt, please?

   The book passed from hand to hand.

   I passed your name on to my manager.

   She passed the information on to the police.

7. (intransitive) If something passes, it happens.

   What has passed today must remain a secret.

8. (sports) (transitive & intransitive) If you pass a ball, puck, etc. you throw, kick, or hit it to another member of your team.

   He passed to Lafleur, who put the ball in for the goal.

Synonyms

• go by
• move
• give
• approve
• succeed
• spend

Antonyms

• fail

Related words

• past
• passable
• passably
• impassable
• impassably
• passer
• pass the buck

Noun

Singular pass

Plural passes

1. (countable) A pass is a piece of paper, plastic, etc. that allows somebody to enter a building, vehicle, or area.

   We have a season's pass for the ski hill.

2. (countable) A pass is a score on a test, exam, etc. that is good enough, often over 50%. Also a person or paper that gets this score.

   On the last test there were only five passes; everyone else failed.

   We have one of the highest pass rates for the exam in the state!

3. (sports) (countable) A pass is a throw, kick, hit, etc. of a ball, puck, etc. to another member of your team.

   Robert's pass in front of the net is blocked by the goalie.

4. (countable) A pass is a place in a mountain that is easy to travel.

   The mountain pass was blocked, which made it difficult to get across.

5. (countable) A pass is one case of a repeated action or process.

   We caught some new mistakes on the third pass.

Antonyms

• fail