adjective
Common
passing
PAH-sihng
Passing (adjective) means lasting only briefly; temporary. Example: “It was just a passing fad, nothing serious.”
adjective
1
Lasting only briefly; temporary.
"It was just a passing fad, nothing serious."
"She gave him a passing glance and kept walking."
"The storm was only a passing shower, so we waited under a tree."
noun
1
Death, or the end of something.
"The whole town mourned his passing."
"Friends sent flowers after the passing of their kind neighbour."
"We were sad to hear of the passing of our old teacher."
2
The act of moving past something, or moving something (such as a ball) to another person.
"The team's passing was sloppy in the first half."
"The passing of the ambulance made everyone move aside."
"His quick passing helped the team score before the break."
How to use passing
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCan describe something brief and fleeting, a death, or the action of passing something along.
Common mistake
"Passing" is a gentler, more formal way to refer to someone's death than "dying."
Common pairings
a passing thought
in passing
his passing
passing accuracy
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Word forms
- Plural
- passings
- Comparative
- more passing
- Superlative
- most passing
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
It was just a _____ fad, nothing serious.
Etymology
From pass plus the suffix -ing.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for passing
See all rhymes for passing →Frequently asked questions
What does “passing” mean?
The word “passing” means lasting only briefly; temporary. In plain terms, can describe something brief and fleeting, a death, or the action of passing something along.
How do you pronounce “passing”?
“Passing” is pronounced PAH-sihng (/ˈpɑːsɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “passing” in a sentence?
Here is “passing” used in a sentence: “It was just a passing fad, nothing serious.”
What part of speech is “passing”?
Depending on how it is used, “passing” can be an adjective and a noun.
Is “passing” a common word?
“Passing” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “passing” have?
“Passing” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: lasting only briefly; temporary.
What is the difference between passing and permanent?
Passing means lasting only a short time and then gone, such as a passing mood or a passing trend. Permanent means lasting indefinitely and meant to stay. They are opposites on the scale of duration: a passing interest fades quickly, while a permanent one endures. Passing stresses how brief something is.
What is the difference between passing and fleeting?
The two are close in meaning, and both describe something short-lived. Fleeting stresses extreme brevity, gone almost at once, like a fleeting glance. Passing is a little softer, suggesting something temporary that comes and goes, such as a passing phase. Both contrast with anything lasting or permanent.
What is an example of passing in this sense?
A passing remark is a comment made briefly, in passing, without dwelling on it. A passing craze is a fad that fades fast. A passing shower is brief rain that soon clears. In each case, passing signals that the thing is temporary and will not last long.
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