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to pass away

to pass away

12 3.5
To slowly disappear or stop existing
  • phrasal verb
  • /pæs əˈweɪ/
translation icon : desaparecer
  • Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
  • old order passed away

They arise in the space of awareness for a time and pass away.

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Examples

  • Everything else passes away; that which you love remains.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The harsh memories of the past slowly pass away as we heal.

  • The former things have passed away.

  • All this shall pass away.

  • The problems of my college years had passed away by that time.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Even the mountains pass away.

  • One day this world, this body, this paradise...it will pass away.

  • They pass away quite peacefully.

  • New professional fiefdoms arise and old ones pass away.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Humans come into existence and pass away in a cosmos indifferent to their existence.

    Academic text (1996)

Synonyms

to disappear
vsto pass away
1.0

To stop being seen or to no longer be there

is about a slow ending rather than any sudden loss
to die
vsto pass away
840 4.8

To stop being felt, as a feeling or idea

adds the idea of a gradual cessation rather than just stopping
to fade
vsto pass away
531 1.2

To slowly become less visible, bright, or loud

focuses on complete ending rather than just reducing strength
to go away
vsto pass away
463 1.0

To stop being seen or felt

implies a gradual end rather than simple removal or leaving
to fade away
vsto pass away
69 3.0

To become weaker and then disappear over time

stresses slow cessation of existence rather than mere weakening
to die out
vsto pass away
47 3.7

To stop existing over time, for example animals or traditions

is broader, applying to any gradual ending not only groups
to die down
vsto pass away
46 2.7

To become less strong or loud over time

involves full cessation rather than just a reduction in force
to die off
vsto pass away
21 5.8

Plants or animals gradually become fewer until none remain

uses the same slow end idea but for any entity, not only groups
to become extinct
vsto pass away
15 4.5

Stop existing as a kind of animal, plant, or language

is the general gradual ending sense rather than technical extinction
to peter out
vsto pass away
9 5.6

To slowly become weaker and then stop

is less about a drawn-out tapering and more about slow ending
to die away
vsto pass away
8 4.2

To become quieter and then stop

applies more broadly to all things slowly ending, not only effects

Antonyms

873 1.0

To come into view or become visible

604 4.0

To become known or start to exist, for example as an idea

How Gradual

to die out
47 3.7
to fade away
69 3.0
to pass away
12 3.5
to disappear
1.0
to vanish
421 3.0

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

pass + away

The meaning is a euphemistic/metaphorical extension of the constituents: 'pass' (move/go) + 'away' (from here) yields the idea of 'moving away from life', so a learner can partially infer the sense. However the death sense is a conventionalized euphemism rather than a literal compositional meaning, and many learners who only know the basic senses of 'pass' and 'away' may not predict the idiomatic use without exposure.

Etymology

Pass away can also mean that something slowly disappears or stops being part of life, like fog that fades or a song that ends. The verb pass means to move and away means gone, so we use the phrase to say traditions or memories 'stop existing' over time.