Past

//pɑːst// adj, adv, noun, prep, verb

adj, adv, noun, prep, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    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"

  2. 2
    a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the past wordnet
  3. 3
    The past tense.
  4. 4
    the time that has elapsed wordnet
  5. 5
    a earlier period in someone's life (especially one that they have reason to keep secret) wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of pass form-of, obsolete, participle, past

    "Great Tuscane dames, as she their towns past by, / Wisht her their daughter-in-law, but frustrately."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Having already happened; in the past; finished.

    "past glories"

  2. 2
    Following expressions of time to indicate how long ago something happened; ago.

    "That had been, what, three years past?"

  3. 3
    Of a period of time: having just gone by; previous.

    "during the past year"

  4. 4
    Of a tense, expressing action that has already happened or a previously-existing state.

    "past tense"

Adjective
  1. 1
    of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office wordnet
  2. 2
    earlier than the present time; no longer current wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    In a direction that passes.

    "I watched him walk past."

Adverb
  1. 1
    so as to pass a given point wordnet
Preposition
  1. 1
    Beyond in place or quantity.

    "the room past mine"

  2. 2
    Any number of minutes after the last hour.

    "What's the time? - It's now quarter past twelve midday (or 12.15pm) -O,K., we'll stop at half (past) twelve"

  3. 3
    No longer capable of.

    "I'm past caring what he thinks of me."

  4. 4
    Having recovered or moved on from (a traumatic experience, etc.).
  5. 5
    Passing by, especially without stopping or being delayed.

    "Ignore them, we'll play past them."

Synonyms

All synonyms
ancientdepartederstwhileformerlastolden

Example

More examples

"The past can only be known, not changed. The future can only be changed, not known."

Etymology

From Middle English passed, past participle of passen (“to pass, to go by”), whence Modern English pass.

Related phrases

blast from the pastin the pastpast anteriorpast continuouspast historicpast participlepast perfectpast progressivepast simplepast tensepast the end of one's nosepast-time

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.