passing

1 of 3

noun

pass·​ing ˈpa-siŋ How to pronounce passing (audio)
: the act of one that passes or causes to pass
especially : death sense 1a

passing

2 of 3

adjective

1
: going by or past
a passing pedestrian
2
: having a brief duration
a passing whim
3
obsolete : surpassing
4
: superficial
a passing acquaintance
a passing resemblance
5
a
: of, relating to, or used in or for the act or process of passing
passing lanes
b
: given on satisfactory completion of an examination or course of study
a passing grade

passing

3 of 3

adverb

: to a surpassing degree : exceedingly
passing strange
Phrases
in passing
: by the way : incidentally

Examples of passing in a Sentence

Noun After her husband's passing, she moved to a smaller house. We all mourned his passing. Adjective Someone called out from a passing car. She sells flowers to passing motorists. Let's hope that these shoes are just a passing fad. a passing phase in childhood Adverb a passing strange turn of events
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Underwood had pedestrian passing numbers but generally played mistake-free football, aided by a controversial offsides call that negated a sack and fumble. Austin Meek, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025 The Eagles' passing offense exploded in Week 7 against Minnesota for a season-high 316 passing yards in the 28-22 win on the road. Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Thompson scored a goal and also had an assist on a pretty passing play that went from him to Zach Benson to Jiri Kulich, who finished with a one-timer. Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 James Cook is a great running back and certainly helps open up the passing game, and while the Bills have a decent tight end room and some average pass catchers, there isn't one wide receiver on the roster who scares teams. Jon Conahan, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for passing

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of passing was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Passing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passing. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

passing

1 of 2 noun
pass·​ing ˈpas-iŋ How to pronounce passing (audio)
1
: the act of one that passes or causes to pass
2

passing

2 of 2 adjective
1
: going by or past
the passing crowd
2
: lasting only for a short time
especially : showing haste or lack of attention : hasty, superficial
a passing glance
3
: used for the act or process of passing
the passing lane
4
: given on satisfactory completion of an examination or course of study
a passing grade

More from Merriam-Webster on passing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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