Dictionary

pass on en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To go forward.
   • Sir Humphrey: There comes a time when one has to accept what fate has in store. When one passes on (pun). / Jim Hacker: (Shocked) Passes on? 1980 December 17, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “Party Games (Yes Minister)”, in Yes Minister, spoken by Humphrey Appleby and Jim Hacker (Nigel Hawthorne and Paul Eddington):
2. (transitive) To convey or communicate.
   • Does he know what I do? / And you'll pass this on, won't you? / And if I ask him once what would he say? / Is he willing? / Can he play? 2003, “Pass This On”, in Deep Cuts, performed by The Knife:
   • Can you pass on the information next time you see him?
3. (transitive) To transfer (something) to someone, especially by handing or bequeathing it to the next person in a series.
4. (transitive) To skip or decline.
   • I'll pass on dessert, thanks.
5. (euphemistic, idiomatic, intransitive) To die.
   • A very fine woman, Martha’s mother. She passed on—let’s see—sixteen months ago, next June. No, fifteen months ago. […] She was a very fine old lady, and I was glad to do what I could. 1953, Jim Thompson, “Allen Talbert”, in The Criminal, Berkeley, Calif.: Black Lizard Books, published 1986, →ISBN, page 5:
   • Sir Humphrey: There comes a time when one has to accept what fate has in store. When one passes on (pun). / Jim Hacker: (Shocked) Passes on? 1980 December 17, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “Party Games (Yes Minister)”, in Yes Minister, spoken by Humphrey Appleby and Jim Hacker (Nigel Hawthorne and Paul Eddington):
   • His uncle passed on last year.

Forms

Synonyms

pass on · shuffle off this mortal coil · pay the debt of nature · darken · hand in one's checks · expire · forfare · pass the river · be with the Lord · be like the the One · be no more · assume room temperature · pass in one's checks · snuff it · liquidate · pass over · slip away · go the way of the dodo · keel over · knock off · kick off · exit · cash in · go the way of the dodo bird · give up the ghost · flatline · conk out · go the way of the dinosaurs · disincarnate · pop one's clogs · fall off the twig · lose the number of one's mess · cark it · go over to the majority · cross the Great Divide · proceed · perish · yield up the ghost · peg out · draw one's last breath · be gathered to one's fathers · go for a burton · drop off the hooks · bite the big one · close one's eyes for the last time · croak · pass away · take a dirt nap · decease · pop off · hand in one's dinner pail · join the choir invisible · push up daisies · be with Jesus · go to one's reward · hop the twig · buy it · check out · kick the bucket · cross over · pay nature's debt · cross the Styx · cash in one's chips · sleep with one's fathers · pass · sink · depart · go west · go to glory · code · bite the biscuit · decompose · auger in · go out · give one's all · meet one's doom · meet one's end · dematerialize · turn up one's toes · meet one's maker · buy the farm · be called home · succumb · go the way of all flesh · pass in one's marble · bite the dust

Translations (26)

el κληροδοτώ (to transfer or bequeath to the next person in a series) · mi whakahoro (to transfer or bequeath to the next person in a series) · ru передава́ть (to convey or communicate) · ga iompair (to convey or communicate) · ru переда́ть (to convey or communicate) · bg предавам (to convey or communicate) · de übertragen (to convey or communicate) · mi whakaheke (to transfer or bequeath to the next person in a series) · el αρνούμαι (to skip or decline) · de weitergeben (to convey or communicate) · nl doorgeven (to convey or communicate) · mi tuku (to convey or communicate) · fr transmettre (to convey or communicate) · ru пропуска́ть (to skip or decline) · et edasi andma (to convey or communicate) · nl doorvertellen (to convey or communicate) · ru пропусти́ть (to skip or decline) · sv stå över (to skip or decline) · cmn 傳達 /传达 (to convey or communicate) · fr faire passer (to convey or communicate) · el αποποιούμαι (to skip or decline) · ru отказа́ться (to skip or decline) · mi whakahoro (to convey or communicate) · es pasar (to convey or communicate) · ja 伝える (to convey or communicate) · da give videre (to transfer or bequeath to the next person in a series)