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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

passing en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-der. Proto-Italic *pattus Latin passus Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Vulgar Latin *passāre Old French passerbor. Middle English passen English pass English -ing English passing From pass + -ing.

Meanings

  1. That passes away; ephemeral.
    • It might be possible to dismiss #dittowatch as just another passing internet fancy. After all, hashtags are ephemeral. 2010 September 21, Marianne Kirby, The Guardian:
    • And solace sought he none from priest nor leech, / And soon the same in movement and in speech / As heretofore he fill'd the passing hours […] 1814, Lord Byron, Lara, I.15:
    • […]this is just a passing thing But I believe in your sweet loving, loving, babe With every summer falling rain 1968 December 8, Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy, Stevie Wonder, “I’d Be a Fool Right Now”, in For Once in My Life, performed by Stevie Wonder, Tamla Records:
  2. (archaic, literary) Pre-eminent, excellent, extreme.
    • It was by dint of passing strength, / That he moved the massy stone at length. 1835, Washington Irving, The Crayon Miscellany:
    • That parliament was destined, in one short hour of convulsive strength, in one short hour of passing glory, to humble the pride and alarm the fears of England. 1847, Robert Holmes, The Case of Ireland Stated:
    • her passing deformity c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
  3. Vague, cursory.
    • to have a passing acquaintance with somebody or something
    • to make a passing comment
    • Ardent pro-lifer Rick Santorum made one passing reference to "authenticity" as a litmus test for a conservative candidate, but if he was obliquely referring to Romney (and he was), you could be excused for missing the dig. 2011 June 14, Stewart J Lawrence, The Guardian:
  4. Going past.
    • passing cars
  5. That passes in any sense.
    • a passing transsexual

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most passing Degree=Sup lexicographic
more passing Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Deriveds

non-passing · passingly · passing of time · passing game · with the passing of time · passingness

Synonyms

volatile · ephemeral · highest · intense · passing · maximal · short · raging · greatest · worldly · maximal · transient · fugitive · utmost · intense · earthly · transitive · extreme · instant · seasonable · quick · fleeting · whilend · almighty · fugacious · ultimate · uttermost · passing · brief · evanescent · transitory · short-lived · momentary · temporary · uttermost · flying · ferocious · perishable · exquisite · deciduous · transient · brief · fleeting · maximum

Translations (64)

kix thò (pass a test or examinations) · hy գերազանց (pre-eminent, excellent) · fr rapide (vague, cursory) · io pasanta (going past) · hy թռուցիկ (vague, cursory) · ca passatger (that passes away; ephemeral) · de außerordentlich (pre-eminent, excellent) · de vorbeifahrend (going past) · hy անցողիկ (that passes away; ephemeral) · ru проходя́щий (that passes away; ephemeral) · ru отли́чный (pre-eminent, excellent) · pl przelotny (that passes away; ephemeral) · nb forbipasserende (going past) · eo pasanta (going past) · bg превъзходен (pre-eminent, excellent) · es aprobante (pass a test or examinations) · nl oppervlakkig (vague, cursory) · nl vaag (vague, cursory) · pt excelente (pre-eminent, excellent) · ru вскользь (vague, cursory) · es de aprobación (pass a test or examinations) · bg мимолетен (that passes away; ephemeral) · de flüchtig (vague, cursory) · cmn 粗略的 (vague, cursory) · es pasajero (that passes away; ephemeral) · de verrinnend (that passes away; ephemeral) · pt ótimo (pre-eminent, excellent) · es pasante (pass a test or examinations) · nl eminent (pre-eminent, excellent) · io pasanta (that passes away; ephemeral) · de hervorragend (pre-eminent, excellent) · pt efêmero (that passes away; ephemeral) · io pasema (that passes away; ephemeral) · io pasema (going past) · nn forbipasserande (going past) · nl uitstekend (pre-eminent, excellent) · fr éminent (pre-eminent, excellent) · ru выдаю́щийся (pre-eminent, excellent) · de passierend (going past) · pt temporário (that passes away; ephemeral) · de vorübergehend (that passes away; ephemeral) · fi ohimennen (vague, cursory) · bg бегъл (vague, cursory) · fr passager (that passes away; ephemeral) · es para aprobar / pasar (pass a test or examinations) · bg минаващ (going past) · pt passageiro (that passes away; ephemeral) · pt preeminente (pre-eminent, excellent) · es aprobador (pass a test or examinations) · nl voorbijgaand (going past) · pt vago (vague, cursory) · de vorbeigehend (going past) · fi ohimenevä (that passes away; ephemeral) · de vorbeikommend (going past) · fi ohittava (going past) · cmn 基本的 (vague, cursory) · cmn 去世 (that passes away; ephemeral) · bg преходен (that passes away; ephemeral) · eo fluanta (that passes away; ephemeral) · fi suurenmoinen (pre-eminent, excellent) · ru расплы́вчатый (vague, cursory) · nl voorbijgaand (that passes away; ephemeral) · es pasante (going past) · nl verstrijkend (that passes away; ephemeral)

passing en · ADV

Pronunciation

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-der. Proto-Italic *pattus Latin passus Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Vulgar Latin *passāre Old French passerbor. Middle English passen English pass English -ing English passing From pass + -ing.

Meanings

  1. (archaic, literary, not-comparable) Surpassingly, greatly.
    • [...] for she was called a fair lady, and a passing wise, and her name was called Igraine. 1485 July 14, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter I, in William Caxton, editor, Le Morte D’Arthur, volume 1:
    • She's passing fair; but so demure is she / So quiet is her gown, so smooth her hair, […] 1926, Dorothy Parker, “Roundel”, in Enough Rope, page 89:
    • How wonderful is Death, / Death and his brother Sleep! / One, pale as yonder waning moon / With lips of lurid blue; / The other, rosy as the morn / When throned on ocean's wave / It blushes o'er the world: / Yet both so passing wonderful! 1813, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Canto I”, in Queen Mab; […], London: […] P. B. Shelley, […], →OCLC, page 3:
    • I find it passing strange that convicts understand honest folk, but honest folk don't understand convicts. 2010 October 29, Simon Hattenstone, quoting David Taylor, “Letters from lifers”, in The Guardian:

Translations (12)

de außergewöhnlich (surpassingly, greatly) · ru чрезвыча́йно (surpassingly, greatly) · pt extremamente (surpassingly, greatly) · nl extreem (surpassingly, greatly) · hy շատ (surpassingly, greatly) · nl enorm (surpassingly, greatly) · fr extrêmement (surpassingly, greatly) · bg превъзходно (surpassingly, greatly) · fr éminemment (surpassingly, greatly) · de vortrefflich (surpassingly, greatly) · hy չափազանց (surpassingly, greatly) · fi perin (surpassingly, greatly)

passing en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-der. Proto-Italic *pattus Latin passus Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Vulgar Latin *passāre Old French passerbor. Middle English passen English pass English -ing English passing From pass + -ing.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) Death, dying; the end of something.
  2. (countable, uncountable) The fact of going past; a movement from one place to another or a change from one state to another.
    • And since he did not see Louie by the folding door, Louie knew that in his former passings and repassings he could not have seen her either. 1913, Oliver Onions, The Story of Louie:
  3. (countable, uncountable) The act of approving a bill etc.
    • But capital was proving difficult to raise; rumours were in the air that the G.W.R. and L.S.W.R. were about to patch up their quarrel, and the people of Southampton, who twelve months earlier had staged a torch-light procession to celebrate the passing of the D.N.S.R. Act, were increasingly loath to part with their cash. 1955 February, T. B. Sands, “The Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 79:
  4. (countable, uncountable) The act of passing a ball etc. to another player.
  5. (countable, uncountable) A form of juggling where several people pass props between each other, usually clubs or rings.
  6. (countable, uncountable) The ability of a person to be regarded as a member of an identity group or category different from their own.
    • When there is a discrepancy between an individual's actual social identity and his virtual one, it is possible for this fact to be known to us before we normals contact him, or to be quite evident when he presents himself before us. He is a discredited person, and it is mainly he I have been dealing with until now. … However, when his differentness is not immediately apparent, and is not known beforehand, … he is a discreditable, not a discredited person …. The issue is … that of managing information about his failing. To display or not to display; to tell or not to tell; to let on or not to let on; to lie or not to lie; and in each case, to whom, how, when, and where. … It is this second general issue, the management of undisclosed discrediting information about self, that I am focusing on in these notes - in brief, 'passing'. 1963, Erving Goffman, 'Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity', Ch.2 at p.57, 58 (page numbers per the Pelican Books 1976 reprint)

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
passings Number=Plur lexicographic

Coordinates

pass

Deriveds

passingly · Korea Passing · passing lane · passing pocket · passingness

Descendants

パッシング

Relateds

passing show · passing place · passing-bell · passing note · passing bell · passing loop · passing tone · in passing · buck-passing · continuation-passing style · passing off · passing grade · continuation passing style · passing shot

Translations (78)

pt passagem (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · hy զույգով ժոնգլյորություն (form of juggling) · pt aprovação (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · de Genehmigung (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · de Passen (form of juggling) · de Pass (sports: act of passing) · fi poismeno (death, dying; the end) · ru переда́ча (sports: act of passing) · de Abgabe (sports: act of passing) · hy ընդունում (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · es paso (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · sv bortgång (death, dying; the end) · nl overlijden (death, dying; the end) · de Bestätigung (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · nl goedkeuring (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · fi syöttäminen (sports: act of passing) · de Hinscheiden (death, dying; the end) · fr passe (sports: act of passing) · nl pass (sports: act of passing) · ru перехо́д (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · fi ohitus (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · ru жонгли́рование с партнёром (form of juggling) · es aprobación (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · de Zuspiel (sports: act of passing) · fr mouvement (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · pt óbito (death, dying; the end) · hy փոխանցում (sports: act of passing) · nl passen (sports: act of passing) · fr passing (form of juggling) · de Billigung (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · he פְּטִירָה (death, dying; the end) · uk смерть (death, dying; the end) · bg прокарване (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · gl finamento (death, dying; the end) · pt passabilidade (ability of a person to be regarded as a member of an identity group different from their own) · ru смерть (death, dying; the end) · hy մեռնելը (death, dying; the end) · fi syöttely (form of juggling) · bg минаване (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · ru приня́тие (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · fi loppu (death, dying; the end) · fi syöttö (sports: act of passing) · gl pasamento (death, dying; the end) · pt morte (death, dying; the end) · nl voorbijgaan (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · el πάσα (sports: act of passing) · it decesso (death, dying; the end) · nl heengaan (death, dying; the end) · de Ableben (death, dying; the end) · de Freigabe (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · fi hyväksyminen (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · hy մահ (death, dying; the end) · ru кончи́на (death, dying; the end) · es pase (sports: act of passing) · de Vorbeikommen (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · it scomparsa (death, dying; the end) · fr mort (death, dying; the end) · de Passieren (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · de Passage (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · es fallecimiento (death, dying; the end) · gl morte (death, dying; the end) · fr décès (death, dying; the end) · de Bewilligung (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · es muerte (death, dying; the end) · hy խմբով ժոնգլյորություն (form of juggling) · bg смърт (death, dying; the end) · fi läpimeno (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · hy անցում (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · hy անցնելը (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · fi ohittaminen (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · ca passada (sports: act of passing) · fi siirtyminen (fact of going past; movement from one place or state to another) · fr adoption (law: act of approving a bill etc.) · uk кончи́на (death, dying; the end) · io paso (death, dying; the end) · pt passe (sports: act of passing) · nl dood (death, dying; the end) · bg подаване (sports: act of passing)

passing en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *peth₂-der. Proto-Italic *pattus Latin passus Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Vulgar Latin *passāre Old French passerbor. Middle English passen English pass English -ing English passing From pass + -ing.

Meanings

  1. (form-of, gerund, participle, present) present participle and gerund of pass
    form of pass