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to pass

to pass

423 3.8
To stop living
  • verb
  • /pæs/
  • Formal
: fallecer
  • Despite our best efforts to save him, Alex Murphy passed away just hours ago.

When you're saying stuff about my daughter that's passed away, that's hard.

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Examples

  • When he passed away, were you surprised that he-- -Died?

  • When you're saying stuff about my daughter that's passed away, that's hard.

  • And your father passed when you were how old?

  • So when she passed away, I had it.

  • So until Prince passed away last year, I just never knew.

  • Because before he passed, I was writing him letters.

  • When she passed, I respected her decision.

  • During COVID, my wife's grandfather passed and he was Catholic.

  • Six years after Savory passed away, his collection was acquired by the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Despite his age, the beloved actor passed away peacefully in his sleep.

Synonyms

to die
vsto pass
∞ 1.0

To stop living and no longer be alive

is the same idea but expressed more politely and indirectly
to passed away
vsto pass
249 2.7

To die, said in a gentle or polite way

is the shorter single word polite expression rather than a phrase
to perish
vsto pass
  • Formal
120 6.0

To die suddenly or violently, often in large numbers

is gentler and omits cause or manner of stopping living
to drop dead
vsto pass
  • Informal
87 8.4

Die suddenly, often from shock or extreme tiredness

is gentler and does not stress sudden collapse or shock
to expire
vsto pass
  • Formal
25 8.6

To die, often used in medical or formal speech

is similar in politeness but is common everyday indirect speech
to pass away
vsto pass
20 3.8

To die peacefully in a gentle, respectful way

is the shorter single word polite expression for the same idea
to croak
vsto pass
  • Slang
19 9.0

To die, said in a casual or joking way

expresses the same outcome but uses softer, more respectful wording
to kick the bucket
vsto pass
  • Informal
9 8.6

To die, said in casual or joking speech

keeps a polite indirect tone rather than joking or crude language
to buy the farm
vsto pass
  • Slang
6 9.9

To die suddenly, often in an accident or during fighting

is more gentle and avoids implying sudden or violent circumstances
to give up the ghost
vsto pass
  • Informal
5 8.1

To die or stop working after a long time of problems

speaks of stopping living in a polite, people-focused way rather than failure
to snuff it
vsto pass
  • Slang
3 9.9

To stop living and not come back

keeps a polite, indirect tone rather than crude slang
to go the way of all flesh
vsto pass
  • Archaic
1 9.7

To stop living as a natural part of life

is similar but focuses on polite or indirect wording rather than fate
to pop off
vsto pass
  • Informal
1 9.1

To die, often said as a joke to make it seem less serious

is more consistently polite and avoids humorous distancing
to cash in one's chips
vsto pass
  • Informal
9.6

To die in a light, not serious way

is polite and avoids joking about the event

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To continue to be alive

Idioms

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

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

6 3.5

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

3 7.8

Seem honest and believable when people check it

do not pass go
  • Informal
3 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

Phrasal Verbs

317 3.7

To faint or lose consciousness suddenly

264 2.7

To give something to another person, often information or a message

242 2.7

To travel through a place without stopping for long

120 3.6

Decide not to accept something, for example an offer or food

104 1.2

Go past someone or something without stopping

97 3.0

Go past without being noticed or taken

93 2.5

Give news, a message, or something you received to another person

93 4.1

To choose not to accept a good offer or chance

78 2.7

To give things to people in a group, like papers or drinks

To make a liquid or gas go through a filter

55 2.8

Give traditions, stories, or things to younger family members

Hand something to each person in a group

Form an opinion about someone or something, often a critical one

37 6.9

To make something or someone look real when they are not

31 3.3

To move across a place, often above the ground

30 4.1

To ignore someone or something on purpose

22 3.5

To slowly disappear or stop existing

20 3.8

To die peacefully in a gentle, respectful way

To be seen as good enough after a check

to pass go
  • Informal
12 6.7

To start the next step of a plan without delay

Make information spread among many people

11 5.2

To move across an enemy line to reach the other side

9 3.4

Give something back to the person who had it

7 5.9

To let gas out from your bottom

5 4.1

To treat criticism or an insult as not important

to pass the hat
  • Informal
4 5.5

To ask people to give money for a person or cause

2 3.7

To move something gently over a surface

to pass up
  • Informal
2 4.7

To ignore someone you meet by pretending not to see them

1 6.5

To let gas from inside your body out through your bottom

1 3.4

Give something to a teacher or official for them to check

to pass down
  • Specialized
1 4.8

Send a value or setting from a main part of a program to its smaller parts

1 7.1

To release gas or a bad smell quietly

1 7.6

To let urine come out of your body

1 3.9

To become less strong over time

Compounds

free pass
  • Informal
37 4.2

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

22 2.4

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

17 2.3

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

14 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
5 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

pass receiver
  • Jargon
4 3.9

A football player who catches passes from the quarterback

2 3.8

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

2 2.8

A successful forward pass caught by a teammate

2 7.1

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

pass catcher
  • Jargon
1 5.4

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

1 8.0

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

pass-through
  • Specialized
1 5.1

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

low-pass filter
  • Specialized
1 5.5

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

1 3.9

An opening between a kitchen and dining room for passing food

hall pass
  • NSFW
1 8.3

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

1 7.4

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

kitchen pass
  • Jargon
1 7.9

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

high-pass filter
  • Specialized
1 4.4

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

pussy pass
  • Slur
1 9.9

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

lateral pass
  • Jargon
1 5.8

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

flare pass
  • Jargon
1 7.0

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

pass-back
  • Specialized
1 3.2

A ball moved backward to a teammate to keep possession

forward pass
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A run of input data through a model to produce predictions

spot pass
  • Jargon
1 5.7

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

1 8.6

A risky pass that puts someone in danger or trouble

4.2

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

How Polite

to pass away
20 3.8
to pass
  • Formal
423 3.8
to expire
  • Formal
25 8.6
to die
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

pass infinitive
passed past
passed past participle
passing present participle
passes third person singular

Etymology

Pass comes from the Old French passer and the Latin passus, meaning 'to go across' or 'move on'. Saying someone passed is a gentle way to say they moved on from life to what comes after, using the image of moving across a boundary.