Passed vs. Past — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 30, 2023
"Passed" is the past tense of "pass," indicating movement by or through something, while "past" denotes a time that has already occurred or a position beyond a point.
Difference Between Passed and Past
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Passed is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'pass,' implying movement. Past, on the other hand, is most commonly used as an adjective, noun, or preposition, referring to time gone by or beyond a point.
'Passed' is used to describe an action, such as moving by something. 'Past' refers to a time that has already occurred or a position beyond a certain point.
When someone has completed a test, we say they 'passed.' When referring to events that occurred earlier, we use 'past.'
'Passed' can indicate transfer or approval, as in laws or proposals. 'Past' is used to discuss history or previous conditions.
In sports, 'passed' refers to moving a ball or baton, whereas 'past' might be used to discuss previous games or seasons.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Verb (past tense, participle)
Adjective, Noun, Preposition
Usage
Action of moving or approving
Time gone by, beyond a point
Example
"He passed the ball."
"In the past, we walked more."
Context
Action, movement, approval
Time, history, previous state
Grammatical Structure
Verb form
Not a verb form
Compare with Definitions
Passed
Went by something or someone.
She passed the store on her way home.
Past
Something that used to be but no longer is.
She is past her prime as an athlete.
Passed
Achieved a successful result, especially in a test.
He passed his driving test on the first attempt.
Past
The past is the set of all events that occurred before a given point in time. The past is contrasted with and defined by the present and the future.
Passed
Gave something to someone.
He passed the salt across the table.
Past
No longer current; gone by; over
His youth is past.
Passed
Sanctioned or ratified, as in a law.
The bill was passed by a unanimous vote.
Past
Having existed or occurred in an earlier time; bygone
Past events.
In years past.
Passed
Ceased to live.
Her grandfather passed away last night.
Past
Earlier than the present time; ago
40 years past.
Passed
To move on or ahead; proceed
The train passed through fields of wheat.
Past
Just gone by or elapsed
In the past few days.
Passed
To extend; run
The river passes through our land.
Past
Having served formerly in a given capacity, especially an official one
A past president.
A past inmate of a cell.
Passed
To move by or in front of something
The band passed and the crowd cheered.
Past
(Grammar) Of, relating to, or being a verb tense or form used to express an action or condition prior to the time it is expressed.
Passed
To move past another vehicle
The sports car passed on the right.
Past
The time before the present.
Passed
To gain passage despite obstacles
Pass through difficult years.
Past
Previous background, career, experiences, and activities
An elderly person with a distinguished past.
Passed
To move past in time; elapse
The days passed quickly.
Past
A former period of someone's life kept secret or thought to be shameful
A family with a checkered past.
Passed
To be transferred from one to another; circulate
The wine passed around the table.
Past
The past tense.
Passed
(Sports) To transfer a ball or puck to a teammate.
Past
A verb form in the past tense.
Passed
To be communicated or exchanged between persons
Loud words passed in the corridor.
Past
So as to pass by or go beyond
He waved as he walked past.
Passed
To be transferred or conveyed to another by will or deed
The title passed to the older heir.
Past
Beyond in time; later than or after
Past midnight.
A quarter past two.
Passed
To undergo transition from one condition, form, quality, or characteristic to another
Daylight passed into darkness.
Past
Beyond in position; farther than
The house is a mile past the first stoplight. They walked past the memorial in silence.
Passed
To come to an end
My anger suddenly passed. The headache finally passed.
Past
Beyond the power, scope, extent, or influence of
The problem is past the point of resolution.
Passed
To cease to exist; die. Often used with on
The patient passed on during the night.
Past
Beyond in development or appropriateness
The child is past drinking from a bottle. You're past sucking your thumb, so don't do it.
Passed
To happen; take place
Wanted to know what had passed at the meeting.
Past
Beyond the number or amount of
The child couldn't count past 20. See Usage Note at pass.
Passed
To be allowed to happen without notice or challenge
Let their rude remarks pass.
Past
The period of time that has already happened, in contrast to the present and the future.
A book about a time machine that can transport people back into the past
Passed
Sports & Games To decline one's turn to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.
Past
(grammar) The past tense.
Passed
To decline an offer
When we offered him dessert, he passed.
Past
Having already happened; in the past; finished.
Past glories
Passed
To undergo an examination or a trial with favorable results.
Past
(postmodifier) Following expressions of time to indicate how long ago something happened; ago.
Passed
To serve as a barely acceptable substitute
The spare tire was nearly bald but would pass until we bought a new one.
Past
Of a period of time: having just gone by; previous.
During the past year
Passed
To be accepted as a member of a group by denying one's own ancestry or background.
Past
(grammar) Of a tense, expressing action that has already happened or a previously-existing state.
Past tense
Passed
To be approved or adopted
The motion to adjourn passed.
Past
In a direction that passes.
I watched him walk past
Passed
To make a decision
To pass upon a legal question.
Past
Beyond in place or quantity
The room past mine
Count past twenty
What's the time? - It's now quarter past twelve midday (or 12.15pm).
Passed
To convey property to an heir or heirs
To pass according to the terms of the will.
Past
No longer capable of.
I'm past caring what he thinks of me.
Passed
(Medicine) To be discharged from a bodily part
The patient had a lot of pain when the kidney stone passed.
Past
Having recovered or moved on from (a traumatic experience, etc.).
Passed
(Sports) To thrust or lunge in fencing.
Past
Passing by, especially without stopping or being delayed.
Ignore them, we'll play past them.
Please don't drive past the fruit stand, I want to stop there.
Passed
To go by without stopping; proceed beyond or leave behind
The bus passed a gas station.
Past
(obsolete) pass
Passed
To go across; go through
We passed the border into Mexico.
Past
Of or pertaining to a former time or state; neither present nor future; gone by; elapsed; ended; spent; as, past troubles; past offences.
Passed
To allow to go by or elapse; spend
He passed his winter in Vermont.
Past
A former time or state; a state of things gone by.
The present is only intelligible in the light of the past, often a very remote past indeed.
Passed
To go by without paying attention to; disregard or ignore
If you pass the new photographs in the collection, you'll miss some outstanding ones.
Past
Beyond, in position, or degree; further than; beyond the reach or influence of.
Until we be past thy borders.
Love, when once past government, is consequently past shame.
Passed
To fail to pay (a dividend).
Past
Beyond, in time; after; as, past the hour.
Is it not past two o'clock?
Passed
To go beyond; surpass
The inheritance passed my wildest dreams.
Past
Above; exceeding; more than.
Not past three quarters of a mile.
Bows not past three quarters of a yard long.
Passed
To undergo (a trial or examination) with favorable results
She passed every test.
Past
By; beyond; as, he ran past.
The alarum of drums swept past.
Passed
To cause or allow to go through a trial, test, or examination successfully
The instructor passed all the candidates.
Past
The time that has elapsed;
Forget the past
Passed
To cause to move
We passed our hands over the fabric.
Past
A earlier period in someone's life (especially one that they have reason to keep secret);
Reporters dug into the candidate's past
Passed
To cause to move into a certain position
Pass a ribbon around a package.
Past
A verb tense that expresses actions or states in the past
Passed
To cause to move as part of a process
Pass liquid through a filter.
Past
Earlier than the present time; no longer current;
Time past
His youth is past
This past Thursday
The past year
The present leader
Articles for present use
The present topic
The present system
Present observations
Passed
To cause to go by
The sergeant passed his troops before the grandstand.
Past
Of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office;
A retiring member of the board
Passed
To allow to cross a barrier
The border guard passed the tourists.
Past
A verb tense or other construction referring to events or states that existed at some previous time;
Past participle
Passed
(Baseball) To walk (a batter).
Past
So as to pass a given point;
Every hour a train goes past
Passed
To maneuver (the bull) by means of a pase in bullfighting.
Past
Time gone by.
In the past, communication was slower.
Passed
To cause to be transferred from one to another; circulate
They passed the news quickly.
Past
Further than a particular spot.
The shop is just past the intersection.
Passed
To hand over to someone else
Please pass the bread.
Past
A specific period in history.
The castle was built in the distant past.
Passed
(Sports) To transfer (a ball, for example) to a teammate, as by throwing.
Past
Referring to older, bygone days.
Stories from the past often teach valuable lessons.
Passed
To cause to be accepted; circulate fraudulently
Pass counterfeit money.
Passed
(Law) To convey (property) to an heir or heirs
To pass an estate.
Passed
(Medicine) To discharge (a waste product, for example) from a bodily part.
Passed
(Medicine) To introduce (an instrument) into a bodily cavity.
Passed
To approve; adopt
The legislature passed the bill.
Passed
To be sanctioned, ratified, or approved by
The bill passed the House of Representatives.
Passed
To pronounce; utter
Pass judgment.
Pass sentence on an offender.
Passed
The act of passing; passage.
Passed
A way, such as a narrow gap between mountains, that affords passage around, over, or through a barrier.
Passed
A permit, ticket, or authorization to come and go at will.
Passed
A free ticket entitling one to transportation or admission.
Passed
Written leave of absence from military duty.
Passed
A passing grade, especially when graded using a pass-fail grading system.
Passed
A sweep or run, as by an aircraft, over or toward an area or target.
Passed
A single complete cycle of operations, as by a machine or computer program.
Passed
A condition or situation, often critical in nature; a predicament
Contract negotiations that had come to an emotional pass.
Passed
A sexual invitation or overture
Was he making a pass at her?.
Passed
A motion of the hand or the waving of a wand
The magician made a pass over the hat.
Passed
(Sports) A transfer of a ball or puck between teammates.
Passed
(Sports) A lunge or thrust in fencing.
Passed
(Baseball) A base on balls.
Passed
Sports & Games A refusal to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.
Passed
(Games) A winning throw of the dice in craps.
Passed
A pase in bullfighting.
Passed
Simple past tense and past participle of pass
Passed
That has passed beyond a certain point (chiefly in set collocations).
Passed
That has passed a given qualification or examination; qualified.
Common Curiosities
Can 'passed' be a noun?
No, 'passed' is a verb form, not a noun.
What does 'passed' mean?
It's the past tense of 'pass,' meaning to go by or through something.
How do I use 'passed' in a sentence?
"He passed the ball during the game."
Can 'past' describe a condition?
Yes, it can describe a former state or condition.
What does 'past' refer to?
It refers to a time that has already occurred or a position beyond a point.
Can 'passed' indicate approval?
Yes, it can mean something was approved, like a law.
Is 'passed' used for death?
Yes, it's used to say someone has died, as in "passed away."
Can 'passed' be used for objects?
Yes, as in "She passed the book to him."
Is 'past' ever a verb?
No, 'past' is not used as a verb.
How do I use 'past' in a sentence?
"She reminisced about her past adventures."
Are 'passed' and 'past' interchangeable?
No, they have different meanings and uses.
Does 'past' always refer to long ago?
Not always. It can refer to any time before the present.
Can 'passed' refer to time?
Not directly. It's more about action or movement.
Does 'past' have multiple grammatical roles?
Yes, it can be an adjective, noun, or preposition.
Is 'past' used in spatial contexts?
Yes, to indicate something is beyond a certain point.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
