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pass

pass

43 7.1
A serious and difficult situation that needs help
  • noun
  • /pæs/
translation icon : aprieto
  • How matters have come to this pass can be attributed to a number of factors.

Examples

  • The community is facing a serious pass that requires immediate action from all its members.

  • Talk to you soon—oh yeah, you have a pass backstage for Todd's show tomorrow.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • But it's God's part, not our own, to bring ourselves to such a pass.

  • But before things reach this pass, a craving for relief will usually develop: passion.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • During a difficult financial pass, she had to rely on her friends for support.

  • In times of political turmoil, every citizen must prepare for a critical pass that could impact their future.

Synonyms

strait
vspass
21 8.2

A difficult time when people have little money or help

refers to a difficult or critical situation without strong emotional tone
straits
vspass
7.4

A difficult time when someone has little money or many problems

refers to a difficult or critical situation without strong emotional tone

Antonyms

2.8

Something that helps a person do better than others

Idioms

To do very well in a test or task, often easily

Give responsibility for your job to the person who will replace you

3 7.8

Seem honest and believable when people check it

1 3.5

To give responsibility or control to another person during a planned change

do not pass go
  • Informal
9.1

To refuse someone any further chance and make them leave immediately

To ask or hope, often in prayer, not to have a hard time

Compounds

20 2.4

A paper or digital ticket that lets a passenger get on a plane

free pass
  • Informal
18 4.2

An excuse that lets someone avoid rules or blame because of their position

13 2.3

A written note from a teacher that allows a student to leave class and go into the hallway

11 3.4

A ticket that lets someone enter a place without paying

A low route through mountains that people or vehicles use

Hail Mary pass
  • Informal
4 8.4

A risky final attempt to succeed when little time remains

screen pass
  • Jargon
4 6.1

A short forward pass where teammates block to protect the receiver

2 3.8

A throw toward the opponent's end to move the ball downfield

pass catcher
  • Jargon
1 5.4

A player who receives forward passes, like a wide receiver or tight end

low-pass filter
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A device that lets slow changes in signals pass and reduces fast changes

hall pass
  • NSFW
1 8.3

Permission from a partner to be romantic or sexual with someone outside the relationship

1 3.9

An opening between a kitchen and dining room for passing food

1 2.8

A successful forward pass caught by a teammate

1 7.4

A mountain road through the Alps that links Innsbruck in Austria with Bolzano in Italy

1 7.1

A narrow mountain route between Pakistan and Afghanistan used for trade and army movements

8.0

A high mountain pass near Lake Tahoe where trapped pioneers ate human flesh to survive

flare pass
  • Jargon
7.0

A short forward pass to a player running toward the sideline in American football

forward pass
  • Specialized
4.6

A run of input data through a model to produce predictions

kitchen pass
  • Jargon
7.9

Permission to stop cooking for a short time, often said as a joke

lateral pass
  • Jargon
5.8

A pass that goes sideways or backward instead of forward in American football

high-pass filter
  • Specialized
4.4

An electronic part that lets high sounds pass and reduces low sounds

8.6

A risky pass that puts someone in danger or trouble

pussy pass
  • Slur
9.9

Special, unfair treatment given to a woman by others because of her gender

pass-through
  • Specialized
5.1

A setting that lets signals or data pass through unchanged to another device

pass receiver
  • Jargon
3.9

A football player who catches passes from the quarterback

pass-back
  • Specialized
3.2

A ball moved backward to a teammate to keep possession

4.2

Sending a file back to the person who handled it before for review

spot pass
  • Jargon
5.7

A throw that aims the ball at a planned place for the receiver to catch

How Difficult

disaster
1.0
crisis
3.1
predicament
81 5.8
pass
43 7.1
problem
1.2
issue
3.0

Surface Forms

pass singular
passes plural

Etymology

Pass comes from the Old French passer and the Latin passus, meaning 'a step' or 'point reached'. A 'pretty pass' is a bad point you have reached, so the word names a state or stage someone has come to.