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pass

pass

43 7.1
A serious and difficult situation that needs help
  • noun
  • /pæs/
: 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.