English Explanatory Dictionary

past

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The period of time that has already happened, in contrast to the present and the future.
  2. The past tense.
adj
  1. Having already happened; in the past; finished.
  2. Following expressions of time to indicate how long ago something happened; ago.
  3. Of a period of time: having just gone by; previous.
  4. Of a tense, expressing action that has already happened or a previously-existing state.
adv
  1. In a direction that passes.
prep
  1. Beyond in place or quantity.
  2. Any number of minutes after the last hour.
  3. No longer capable of.
  4. Having recovered or moved on from (a traumatic experience, etc.).
  5. Passing by, especially without stopping or being delayed.
verb
  1. simple past and past participle of pass

Pronunciation

päst /pɑːst/ /past/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-past.wav păst /pæst/ en-us-past.ogg

Word forms

past pasts more past most past

Etymology

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

Synonyms

yestertide foretime foregone preceding used-to-be backward forepassed forepast historic historical hoary long ago olden past preterite bygone by

Antonyms

future present to

Related words

preterite the past a hair past a freckle blow past breeze past brush past by-past file past first past the post flypast fly-past forepast get past get past oneself ghost from one's past go past half past half-past-six let past live in the past look past look past the end of one's nose look past the tip of one's nose march-past march past nonpast non-past overpast past exonerative past historic tense past imperfect tense pastism pastist past it past iterative past-life past life past-master past master past mistress pastness past one's prime past paper past participial past perfect continuous past perfect progressive past-posting past redemption past time pastward pastwards pea-time is past push past put it past put one past put past reach past run past runpast sailpast

Derived words

blast from the past eternity past in the past past anterior past continuous past historic pastless past participle past perfect past progressive past simple past tense past-time simple past thing of the past time past times past past the end of one's nose whistle past
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