All phrasal verbs
pass
/pæs/5 phrasal verbsThe plain verb means to move by, or to hand along.
Pass out has two senses that feel like opposites: faint, and distribute. Context always resolves it, because fainting is intransitive and distributing takes an object.
Pass away is the gentle way to say die, and pass on can mean the same — but pass on also means transmit, and declining an offer.
Side by side
Every PASS phrasal verb, with the one line that keeps it apart from its siblings. Tap any one to open it.
| Phrasal verb | Means | How to remember it |
|---|---|---|
| pass outBoth2 meanings | faint; also, distribute to a group | No object = faint. With an object = hand out. |
| pass awayNo object | die — the polite form | AWAY = a gentle departure. |
| pass onSeparable2 meanings | transmit to someone else; decline an offer | ON = it continues to the next person. |
| pass upSeparable | decline an opportunity | UP = you let it go by. |
| pass byBoth | go past without stopping | BY = alongside and onward. |