: the act of one that passes or causes to pass
especially
: death sense 1a
1
: going by or past
a passing pedestrian
2
: having a brief duration
a passing whim
3
obsolete
: surpassing
4
: superficial
a passing acquaintance
a passing resemblance
5
a
: of, relating to, or used in or for the act or process of passing
passing lanes
b
: given on satisfactory completion of an examination or course of study
a passing grade
: to a surpassing degree : exceedingly
passing strange
Examples of passing in a Sentence
Noun
After her husband's passing, she moved to a smaller house.
We all mourned his passing.
Adjective
Someone called out from a passing car.
She sells flowers to passing motorists.
Let's hope that these shoes are just a passing fad.
a passing phase in childhood
Adverb
a passing strange turn of events
Recent Examples on the Web
Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Shapiro points toward the band’s history in the city, noting that Garcia and the Dead’s last concert was in Chicago a month before Garcia’s passing.
—Ethan Millman, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Denver’s defense, led by Surtain II, ranked third in scoring defense while Nix turned in one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback in NFL history by finishing with the most passing touchdowns, touchdowns, completions and passing yards of any rookie quarterback.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for passing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Alvarez’s passing has significantly improved since his spell at Manchester City.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Shapiro points toward the band’s history in the city, noting that Garcia and the Dead’s last concert was in Chicago a month before Garcia’s passing.
—Ethan Millman, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Critically, Villa’s left-back must show composure in possession during their build-up, where he is expected to stay deep, receive under pressure and provide a passing option, as shown here against Arsenal in January.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Denver’s defense, led by Surtain II, ranked third in scoring defense while Nix turned in one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback in NFL history by finishing with the most passing touchdowns, touchdowns, completions and passing yards of any rookie quarterback.
—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for passing
Cite this Entry
“Passing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passing. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
passing
1 of 2 noun
pass·ing
ˈpas-iŋ 
1
: the act of one that passes or causes to pass
2
passing
2 of 2 adjective1
: going by or past
the passing crowd
2
: lasting only for a short time
3
: used for the act or process of passing
the passing lane
4
: given on satisfactory completion of an examination or course of study
a passing grade
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share