passing
B1 (Intermediate)Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
The act of moving past or going by; a temporary, brief, or superficial occurrence.
Can refer to successfully completing an exam or test; the act of dying or ceasing to exist (euphemistic); approving a law or motion; in sports, transferring the ball to a teammate; in racial/identity contexts, being perceived as belonging to a different group.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Highly polysemous word whose meaning depends heavily on context, part of speech (adj/adv/gerund-noun), and collocation. The adjective/adverb meanings (temporary, superficial) often carry a connotation of brevity and insignificance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Main meanings are shared. 'Passing place' (for cars on narrow roads) is a specifically British term. In American football, 'passing' is a core technical term; in UK contexts, 'passing' in football (soccer) is equally common but refers to a different sport.
Connotations
Similar. The euphemism for death ('passing away') is equally common in both varieties.
Frequency
Comparably high frequency in both varieties due to core verb 'to pass'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the passing of [NOUN: e.g., time, law, person][VERB] with passing [NOUN: e.g., years, interest]in passingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “in passing”
- “a passing fancy”
- “with the passing of time”
- “passing the buck”
- “passing mention”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to the approval of a resolution or the transfer of ownership. 'The passing of the budget was celebrated.'
Academic
Refers to achieving a required standard on a test or exam. 'Passing the course requires consistent effort.'
Everyday
Most common for moving by, time elapsing, or making a casual comment. 'I saw him in passing.' 'It was just a passing thought.'
Technical
In sports (ball passing), driving (passing lane), telecommunications (signal passing), and sociology (racial/identity passing).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He is passing the shop on his way to work.
- The bill is passing through Parliament this week.
American English
- She's passing the library on her run.
- The law passed the House with a large majority.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The car is passing the bus.
- I hope you are passing your English test.
- With the passing of time, the pain faded.
- He made a passing comment about the weather.
- The passing of the new legislation was met with protests.
- Her knowledge of the subject is only passing at best.
- The philosopher ruminated on the inexorable passing of all temporal things.
- His ability at passing in American football was unparalleled.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PASSING train — it moves by quickly and is soon gone, just like a PASSING thought or a PASSING grade (you move past the fail point).
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS MOTION (The passing of years). LIFE IS A JOURNEY (Passing away). SUCCESS IS TRAVELING PAST AN OBSTACLE (Passing a test).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить "passing grade" как "проходящая оценка" (лучше "удовлетворительная/зачётная оценка").
- "Passing remark" — это мимолётное/случайное замечание, а не "проходящее".
- В спорте (футбол) "passing" — это пас, передача мяча, а не просто "прохождение".
- "In passing" означает мимоходом, между прочим.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'passing' to mean 'very good' (incorrect: *'a passing movie' for 'a great movie').
- Confusing 'passing' (adj) with 'past' (adj). 'In past years' not *'in passing years' for long-gone years.
- Overusing the adjective for permanent states: *'a passing landmark' instead of 'a famous landmark'.
Practice
Quiz
In the phrase 'a passing resemblance', what does 'passing' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its core is movement (passing a car), it extends to abstract concepts like time passing, passing a test (moving past a standard), and a passing glance (quick movement of the eyes).
'Passing' is the act of going by or a temporary state. 'Past' refers to a time that has gone or a location just gone by. 'In the past year' (time finished) vs. 'in the passing year' (the year as it elapses).
Use it as an adverbial phrase meaning 'casually' or 'incidentally'. Example: 'She noted in passing that the meeting was postponed.' It suggests the information was not the main focus.
Yes. As a gerund (-ing form used as a noun), it refers to the action or instance of passing. Examples: 'The passing of the law took months.' 'His passing in the game was accurate.'