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Glite Dictionary
to walk past

to walk past

69 1.0
To go past something on foot without stopping
  • phrasal verb
  • /wɔk pæst/
translation icon : pasar por delante de
  • Then one day, I was walking past a building site.

And as these ladies walk past, this dog went bonkers.

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Examples

  • On this occasion, he saw a group of boys playing football in the park as he walked past.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Jerry walked past Allie carrying a load of laundry.

  • Then the lights go off, Music starts, models walk past you one after another.

  • Like, people would just walk past our house all day.

  • However, what about those children who walk past the library and seem not to show interest in books?

    Academic text (2009)

  • Everyday people walk past each other in the street.

  • "Excuse me," he said, walking past her, then up the stairs to the third floor.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • In the mornings I walk past him when he is on a smoke break.

  • Hey, there's a guy walking past your window.

    Crocodile Dundee II (1988)

  • Every day, people walk past each other in the street.

Synonyms

to pass
vsto walk past
∞ 1.0

To move past something or someone

is more specific about on foot motion close to people without stopping
to pass by
vsto walk past
165 1.2

Go past someone or something without stopping

is done on foot rather than using other means
to go by
vsto walk past
133 1.0

To move past someone or something

is specifically an on foot movement, not any general travel
to stroll
vsto walk past
122 1.8

To walk slowly and enjoy it

is an on foot movement without the slow relaxed aimless quality
to run by
vsto walk past
84 1.0

To pass close to a person or place while moving quickly on foot

is a normal pace on foot movement rather than fast movement
to go past
vsto walk past
16 1.0

Move by someone or something without stopping

is limited to movement on foot rather than any mode
to run past
vsto walk past
13 1.3

To move quickly past someone or let a chance go by without acting

is slower on foot movement, not focused on speed
to stroll along
vsto walk past
5 2.6

To walk slowly for pleasure along a street or riverside

is a simple on foot movement without the leisurely route focus
to brush by
vsto walk past
3 5.2

To move past a person or thing very close without stopping

is the ordinary on foot movement without the very close contact
to whisk by
vsto walk past
1 5.1

Move past someone or something very quickly and smoothly

is ordinary on foot motion without the rapid smooth quality
to sidle past
vsto walk past
1 7.9

To move sideways past someone quietly without being noticed

is a neutral on foot movement without the cautious sideways manner

Antonyms

stop
310 1.0

An act when something ends or pauses

How Fast

to rush
548 1.0
to stride
16 2.7
to walk past
69 1.0

Surface Forms

walk past infinitive
walked past past
walked past past participle
walking past present participle
walks past third person singular

Morphology

walk + past

The meaning 'to move by something or someone on foot without stopping' is transparently derived from 'walk' (to move on foot) plus 'past' (indicating motion by). This is a common verb + preposition motion pattern that is cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Walk past comes from the simple picture of someone using walk and going past something without stopping, like moving by a shop without going in. That's why it means 'to move by something or someone on foot without stopping'.