Meaning of passing in English:

passing

Pronunciation /ˈpɑːsɪŋ/

See synonyms for passing

Translate passing into Spanish

adjective

attributive

1Going past.
‘passing cars’
- ‘Luckily a passing police car stopped and helped.’
- ‘Demonstrators burned tyres and hurled stones at passing police cars.’
- ‘A passing police car was flagged down by witnesses and although the car was chased along Northway Lane it managed to escape.’
- ‘Theywere able to flag down a passing police car which escorted them to an area where they could park as Lisa began to deliver the baby.’
- ‘Outside Mrs Roughley, who had been joined outside by some regulars, flagged down a passing police car.’
- ‘He tailed her for some time before a passing police car scared him off.’
- ‘The doorman flagged down a passing police car and pointed officers in the direction of Wicker Hill.’
- ‘A passing police car was alerted to the incident and arrested the teenager in minutes.’
- ‘Finally after hours at the knife-edge of death, he fled half-stripped, bleeding and handcuffed into the street, where he flagged down a passing police car.’
- ‘In another incident an hour later a gunman got out of a blue Rover and fired at a passing car on Wellington Road, Moss Side in what police believe may have been a case of mistaken identity.’
- ‘A police spokesman said a collie was struck by a passing car as it escaped the camper van and ran away from the scene of the accident.’
- ‘Eventually she managed to flag down a passing car which took her to the Tyrls police station in the city centre.’
- ‘They looked serious: they were touting machine guns and had one of those spiked things you throw across the road when you want to puncture the tyres of passing cars.’
- ‘Sleeping by day was none the less a poor option, as they were persistent, and not easily convinced of your absence; your heart would race with every passing car or footstep.’
- ‘The sound of children excitedly running around their school playground and the drone of passing cars are the only noises that disturb the tranquillity of rural life.’
- ‘It didn't have to compete with the background rumble of traffic, trains and industry, the blaring stereo from the passing car or even the incessant ring of mobile phones.’
- ‘In fact I do forget, but then I see my reflection in a storefront window or in the window of a passing car, and I'm this man holding a box.’
- ‘We walked across the bridge, admiring its construction, the passing cars and the East River perilously close.’
- ‘They hang in the trees, rest on the wires, run across the lawn in search of crumbs and dive bomb into the bushes when a passing car frightens them.’
- ‘Pick your stuff up and run to the car, preferably on the passenger's side, putting the car between you and passing traffic.’
2(of a period of time) going by.
‘she detested him more with every passing second’
- ‘Each passing year leaves us with fewer veterans of the First World War to describe eye-witness accounts of the horror, bravery and comradeship at the front.’
- ‘‘It's been over a week and every passing day is now critical,’ Bellamy said.’
- ‘My drinks shelf used to live; the ebb and flow in the bottles pulsating with the passing days.’
- ‘The idea that a business must endure and grow stronger with every passing year or quarter seems quite contrary to what the reality of business is.’
- ‘With every passing year, the number of journalists voting increased.’
- ‘The passing summer days are pleasant for the newly married Clym and Eustacia.’
- ‘He wasn't really bad looking but the passing years of seven decades definitely changed him.’
- ‘I suspect it was the latter, because more and more people left with each passing inning.’
- ‘The numbers are decreasing with every passing year, their writing and painting are gradually fading out, their pages have become fragile and brittle.’
- ‘We do, however, need to address the situation with regards to new entrants into farming as, currently, the average age of our farmers is increasing with each passing year.’
- ‘They lost comrades-in-arms by the score during the four-year-conflict and the number of survivors has dwindled with every passing anniversary.’
- ‘His stroppy attention-seeking reaches new levels with each passing day, as do his half-hearted demands to leave Celebrity Big Brother.’
- ‘He described the situation as alarming because, according to experts, the quality of the grain was deteriorating with every passing day.’
- ‘Thanks to a summer that threatens to get more scorching with each passing day, the hapless Bangalorean doesn't have any other choice.’
- ‘However, it will not steer him wide of the summer scrap heap on to which record numbers of players are being carelessly tossed with each passing year.’
- ‘The centrepiece of attraction is that the calendar tells a heart warming story with each passing month of the current year.’
- ‘The number of titles available gradually rises with each passing semester.’
- ‘We get so used to actors slapping on make up in order to age, that seeing them acquire genuine signs of the passing years is a shock of realism.’
- ‘So with the passing years some religions died while others gained in strength.’
- ‘But as the new season moved closer, the stakes were raised with every passing day.’
1. 2.1Carried out quickly and lightly.
  ‘a passing glance’
  ‘You probably see passing references to the casualties, like daily box scores-just as brief and much more brutal.’
  ‘I was aghast and horrified at the extent of human stupidity, and chalked it up to a quickly passing fad that would be soon go the way of foot binding.’
  ‘It is only a brief passing reference but it contains a little of the evidence which was given in the Family Court on the interlocutory proceedings.’
  ‘Hopefully a passing glance would not trigger him to do anything hasty.’
  ‘He does make two passing references that provide some fresh meat for those more interested in that than his comprehensive strategy for the paper.’
  ‘While everyone knew it was there somewhere in the foothills of life, society, the medical world and the Church seemed to give it no more than a passing glance.’
  ‘Intrigued by this passing reference I decided to do a little more research into the subject and in this blog I will pass on my findings about these courageous animals.’
  ‘The Port Huron Statement made just a passing reference condemning aid to the South Vietnamese dictatorship.’
  ‘A passing reference is made to the landowner's illicit, abusive relationship with Nahila's mother and her sisters.’
  ‘Guitars stretch and breathe while the bass and drums are left free to wander - typical song writing formula only gets a passing glance.’
  ‘News will make only a passing reference (if that) to the bigger picture - and then probably at the end of an item.’
  ‘So one must ask, is it enough for an opposition party to merely make passing reference to the perceived wrong direction of the government of the day?’
  ‘The protesters, who are taking it in turns to sit under an umbrella beside the statue of Winston Churchill, had been attracting no more than a passing glance.’
  ‘For a while we chatted about operas we had seen, and so on, the occasional passing reference to life outside opera, nothing special, nothing heavy.’
  ‘So it's about three passing references in the teacher's notes?’
  ‘He made only a passing reference, though, to weapons of mass destruction.’
  ‘Most of the time that will just be a passing phase.’
  ‘Caught in a passing glance, Mount Athos rises in the distance and Ithaca is depicted as an alien landscape of jagged rocks before an endless horizon.’
  ‘Though it merits not even a passing reference in tax law, we all pay pain-added tax on just about everything.’
  ‘She thought it was a passing phase but it didn't pass.’
  hasty, rapid, hurried, brief, quick
  View synonyms
3(of a resemblance or similarity) slight.
‘The hotel is a terracotta-coloured delightful Belle Epoch creation, which has more than a passing resemblance to the Carlton in Cannes, just along the coast.’
- ‘Nevertheless, it's pleasing to note the passing similarity of the resulting image with the angular Vorticist art that I was looking at only thirty minutes later.’
- ‘And yes, with the carefully-coiffured blond hair, tan and surfer's smile, he does bear a passing resemblance to the actor.’
- ‘In her eyes The Outline bore more than a passing resemblance to ‘The Web of the World's Romance ’, her unpublished history of the world.’
- ‘This article is interesting, not least because several people have commented that there is more than a passing resemblance between myself and Hels's brother.’
- ‘Obviously I'm white but my current prosthesis - and the one now being made for me - bears only a passing resemblance to my actual skin colour.’
- ‘Bizarrely, David cannot say too much about it, because he is bound by a confidentiality clause which bears a passing resemblance to War And Peace.’
- ‘Lex is one of three remaining contestants in a reality TV show called Eye Spy, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Big Brother.’
- ‘For three years, he has been developing Arnold, a three-wheeled robot which is the size of a small dog, and has a passing resemblance to one too.’
- ‘The first thing you may notice is that Belfast looks very similar to Glasgow - and it also has more than a passing resemblance to Liverpool.’
- ‘When the teams formally slip on to the rink the Eagles are greeted like returning legionaries, to whom they bear more than a passing resemblance.’
- ‘It's not just a passing resemblance, either - people really think I am him.’
- ‘The event itself was staged in a bullring that gave more than a passing resemblance to the alien mother ship at the end of Close Encounters.’
- ‘What he describes in this tight, staccato prose is a story which bears more than a passing resemblance to The Dirty Dozen.’
- ‘His heroes tend to bear more than a passing resemblance to himself.’
- ‘In fact, it bears more than a passing resemblance to CD1 of her Greatest Hits.’
- ‘He even hitches up his shirt sleeve before every shot in a routine that bears more than a passing resemblance to that of Woods.’
- ‘The young man did bear a passing resemblance to the heir to the throne.’
- ‘He bears more than a passing resemblance to a man at a gig a couple of weeks ago.’
- ‘Rule changes have altered amateur boxing so much that to pugilists the sport now bears only a passing resemblance to its professional cousin.’
cursory, perfunctory, casual, sketchy, desultory, unconsidered, token, slapdash, slipshod, offhand, inadequate, imperfect, slight
View synonyms

noun

mass noun

1The passage of something, especially time.
‘with the passing of the years she had become a little eccentric’
- ‘Actually, when you're dead you don't seem to notice the passing of time quite so much; it begins to seem very, very trivial.’
- ‘I never noticed the passing of time, until the light coming in the window disappeared, and my stomach started growling.’
- ‘The passing of time has enshrined Keegan's infamous combustion on live TV as the pivotal moment in the 1995-1996 title race.’
- ‘The passing of time has not erased old enmities.’
- ‘The passing of time should produce a more balanced appreciation of the heterogeneous and differential impact of the web as a consumer sales channel.’
- ‘The passing of time has made it a blurred image of what it was once.’
- ‘The passing of time has failed to ease the pain for a teenager whose father who was gunned down in a Limerick pub last year.’
- ‘The hope was great before, but it had shrunk with the passing of time, the changing of boy friends.’
- ‘The passing of June 16 this year will not however be greeted with the usual eager anticipation within the area's angling community.’
- ‘The passing of this milestone demonstrates the excellent acceptance of the VLT and its instrumentation by the astronomers.’
- ‘The passing of time is of little significance in a world where the future is fully known and accounted for in advance.’
- ‘The passing of time was very much unnoticeable for a man with Jun's mindset.’
passage, course, progress, advance, process, flow
View synonyms
2(in sport) the action of passing a ball to another team member.
‘his play showed good passing and control’
- ‘Instant ball control and accurate passing in tight spaces, rather than any brute force, are the compulsory requirements for a futsal player.’
- ‘This motivated team produced excellent early passing and control for a short corner mid-way into the half.’
- ‘They were strong on the ball, and their passing and movement was top notch.’
- ‘The passing from both teams is slick enough, but nobody's creating any chances.’
- ‘Airdrie controlled this match with great passing and ball control, but couldn't find the net.’
- ‘The Argentinian has scored twice in his six games for United so far, but it's his pinpoint passing and instant control of the ball that have really caught the eye.’
- ‘The team doesn't have a player who can create his own shot, so it relies on movement and passing to create open looks.’
- ‘He keeps it simple, his movement and passing are excellent, and physically he is as fit as anybody.’
- ‘For 20 minutes the desired effect was movement and passing and control from United.’
- ‘His rebounding and outlet passing should fuel the Rockets' fast break.’
- ‘Both teams stressed team play and passing to the open man.’
- ‘Both sides should take credit for a competitive and high tempo game with plenty of good passing and movement on a surface freshened by light rain.’
- ‘Superior passing and movement allied to a couple of home decisions from the referee meant that England lost control in the first half.’
- ‘Their passing and movement was excellent and Walsh added to his tally on ten minutes following an flowing move through midfield.’
- ‘Yes, their passing and movement was exceptional and we were getting tired just trying to keep up with them.’
- ‘The pace is too slow, we need a higher tempo, to be slicker and quicker with our passing and movement.’
- ‘Netball, which she played at county level, is perhaps the most obvious, being a more pedestrian form of rugby with its quick passing, catching and ball movement.’
- ‘While they wisely stuck to their game plan of short passing and quick movement, the Hoops reverted to hopeful long balls and aimless passes into space.’
- ‘Handball is all about high speed and precise, quick passing - one of the more high octane sports at the Olympics.’
- ‘It was a game which exuded excellent, fast play with good passing, finishing and sporting behaviour.’
3The end of something.
‘the passing of the Cold War’
- ‘The passing of the Cold War was therefore likely to unveil a new age of power politics, untrammelled by the checks and balances of the Cold War.’
- ‘All of which becomes rather puzzling when considering that the spying profession was rendered entirely obsolete with the passing of the Cold War.’
- ‘One major factor has been India's economic reform process, which began with the passing of the Cold War.’
- ‘With the passing of the Cold War, humanity's experience of nuclear weapons and their meaning may turn to other regions.’
- ‘In what ways have you seen the world change - even with the passing of the Cold War?’
- ‘So did the global context, especially the passing of cold-war politics.’
- ‘Death also symbolises endings, so the passing of relationships, jobs and periods of life are reflected upon.’
- ‘The passing of mass tourism may be a matter of regret to the local business community, but it has allowed the Broads to survive as a natural habitat.’
- ‘The passing of the post office was a great loss to the community but let us not forget the rambling houses.’
- ‘Why bother when none would notice the passing of it?’
- ‘The passing of the Soviet Union was merely the stripping away of the latest Russian costume.’
- ‘Even the people at Maverick say they regret the passing of a ‘colourful piece of Calgary's culture.’’
1. 3.1 euphemistic A person's death.
  ‘her passing will be felt deeply by many people’
  ‘Of those overcome by death and passing to another world, a father cannot hold back his son, nor relatives a relation.’
  ‘In her mid-sixties and a frequent visitor to her old home in Parks, her sudden passing is a great loss to her loving family.’
  ‘But that did not prevent rumours that it was due to her unhappiness about the marriage and speculation that her sudden passing had placed a curse on the union.’
  ‘It is with great sorrow and sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our dear son, husband, father, grandfather and brother, Noël.’
  ‘The sad tidings of his sudden passing were received with much regret and neighbours and friends rallied around Patricia and family in their time of grief.’
  ‘He was a hardworking energetic man who was very much devoted to his family and his sudden passing has caused widespread shock and grief in the community.’
  ‘His sudden passing caused deep regret in the local area.’
  ‘The notice recorded the passing of my very first boss.’
  ‘The passing of any significant literary figure is always a sad business; but what to make of the spectacular nature of Green's death?’
  ‘I hope that the New Zealand public will take some notice of the passing of these two people who were men of principle, men we could respect.’
  ‘The passing of the greatest in any field is bound to have a big impact, so you can imagine what it was like when the greatest hurling maestro of all time suddenly passed away in his native Cork.’
  ‘The passing of a father is always a cause for deep grief.’
  ‘The passing of Margaret is also a sad event in that so many of those old families are no longer around anymore and a people and period is fast fading from the landscape.’
  ‘The passing of so many from the old guard means that in Australia, they really are getting younger.’
  ‘The passing of Her Majesty, the Queen Mother has finally brought the 20th century to an end.’
  ‘The passing of one so young and gifted has hit the Wellington rugby community hard.’
  ‘The passing of a Pope is always a dramatic moment.’
  ‘The passing of people whom you've known all your days and with whom you worked on many occasions, always comes a jolt.’
  ‘The passing of this Elder was another situation altogether.’
  ‘The passing of a prominent personality within the mineral community always gives us pause and a time of reflection.’
  death, demise, passing away, passing on, end, expiry, loss, expiration, decease
  View synonyms

Phrases

in passing

Briefly and casually.
‘the research was mentioned only in passing’
- ‘Sister Briodie mentioned, almost in passing, that I will need front-opening pyjamas.’
- ‘I mentioned that in passing at the time and it elicited a stream of foul-mouthed, intemperate abuse from him.’
- ‘It was mentioned in passing that computers used binary, and programmers would often use octal.’
- ‘A couple of months back, I mentioned this blog in passing to someone I know.’
- ‘I mentioned in passing that this was no great tragedy for me, as indeed it wasn't, but that was all.’
- ‘Mention in passing that your beauty salon is really near the office.’
- ‘There was talk of his daughter who was a friend of the abused girl I referred to just now, but she was only mentioned in passing.’
- ‘My birthday seemed to be the perfect excuse and I mentioned it in passing to my husband who, in turn, booked a table.’
- ‘The energy crisis, so crucial to the whole mess, is really mentioned only in passing.’
- ‘While the novel makes some room for the landowners the film mentions them only in passing.’
- ‘Last week I mentioned in passing that I find shaving to be terribly boring, and a real waste of time.’
- ‘So when you phone, you might want to mention in passing that you are also considering a couple of their rivals.’
- ‘All were mentioned in passing, but the hottest topic of all was what was happening off the pitch.’
- ‘I mentioned it in passing to someone the following day and thought nothing more of it.’
- ‘You make mention in passing of nuclear power, but doesn't the logic of your argument mean you should be a strong supporter of it?’
- ‘Apparently it was mentioned in passing the other night, and the pentagon is being very close-lipped about it.’
- ‘She was sorry that she had even even alerted me to his existence by mentioning him in passing.’
- ‘I said that I was going to mention another Act to your Honours and I mention it only in passing.’
- ‘Now they mention it in passing and go on to other security issues.’
- ‘Morris dancers are only mentioned in passing in the text, in the section on calendar customs, and costume not at all.’