Passing Definition & Meaning
passing
- adverb
- to an extreme degree; "extremely cold"; "extremely unpleasant"
- adjective
- lasting a very short time; "the ephemeral joys of childhood"; "a passing fancy"; "youth's transient beauty"; "love is transitory but it is eternal"; "fugacious blossoms"
- of advancing the ball by throwing it; "a team with a good passing attack"; "a pass play"
- allowing you to pass (e.g., an examination or inspection) satisfactorily; "a passing grade"
- hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough; "a casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the house's structural flaws"; "a passing glance"; "perfunctory courtesy"
- noun
- (American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate; "the coach sent in a passing play on third and long"
- euphemistic expressions for death; "thousands mourned his passing"
- the motion of one object relative to another; "stellar passings can perturb the orbits of comets"
- the end of something; "the passing of winter"
- a bodily reaction of changing from one place or stage to another; "the passage of air from the lungs"; "the passing of flatus"
- going by something that is moving in order to get in front of it; "she drove but well but her reckless passing of every car on the road frightened me"
- success in satisfying a test or requirement; "his future depended on his passing that test"; "he got a pass in introductory chemistry"
"Passing" in song lyrics
See how passing is used in real songs:
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"And now I'm mourning my inspiration's passing"
Alias — Inspiration's Passing -
"As the wind blows in passing"
Erykah Badu — Gone Baby, Don't Be Long -
"I'm seeing time passing"
Benzino f/ Scarface, Young Hardy — What's Really Good
Words that rhyme with passing
Usage tips for "passing"
Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "passing" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for passing to find words that pair well.
Use "passing" in a verse
Now that you know what "passing" means, try using it in your own lyrics:
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