Past — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective preposition noun adverb /ˈpast/

Meaning & Definition of Past

Past (adjective)

  1. ago
  2. just gone or elapsed
  3. having existed or taken place in a period before the present, bygone

Past (preposition)

  1. beyond the age for or of
  2. after
  3. at the farther side of, beyond

Past (noun)

  1. time gone by
  2. something that happened or was done in the past
  3. the past tense of a language

Past (adverb)

  1. so as to reach and go beyond a point near at hand

Past (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the events or experience of former times

    "we spent a pleasant evening recalling the past together"

    similar: auld lang syne, history, yesterday, yesteryear, yore
    related: bygone, flashback, annals, chronicle, record, memoir, antiquity, long ago
    near: by-and-by, future, futurity, hereafter, offing, tomorrow, moment, now, present, today

Past (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having been such at some previous time

    "a past editor of the newspaper"

    similar: erstwhile, former, late, old, once, onetime, other, quondam, sometime, whilom
    related: bygone, dead, defunct, departed, expired, extinct, gone, long-ago, vanished
    near: contemporary, current, extant, ongoing, present, present-day, coming, future, prospective, unborn

Past (preposition) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. on or to the farther side of

    "I drive past the school every day"

    similar: beyond, over, on the far side of
    related: outside
    near: inside

  2. subsequent to in time or order

    "it's ten minutes past six o'clock"

    similar: after, après, behind, below, following, next to
    related: since
    opposite: afore (chiefly dialect), ahead of, before, ere, of, previous to, prior to, to
    near: toward

Related Entry: Past master (noun)

Past master is a different word from Past. The synonyms below are for past master, not for past.

  1. a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field

    "a movie director who was widely regarded as the past master of suspense"

    similar: ace, adept, artist, authority, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack, dab (chiefly British), dab hand (chiefly British), expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven, meister, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizard
    related: pro, professional, consultant, hired gun, specialist, addict, aficionado, buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan, craftsman, journeyman, all-rounder (British), jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man, mistress
    opposite: amateur, inexpert, nonexpert
    near: apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice, dabbler, dilettante, layman, nonprofessional

Related Entry: Past masters (noun)

Past masters is a different word from Past. The synonyms below are for past masters, not for past.

  1. a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field

    "a movie director who was widely regarded as the past master of suspense"

    similar: aces, adepts, artists, authorities, cognoscenti, connoisseurs, crackerjacks, dab hands (chiefly British), dabs (chiefly British), experts, fiends, geeks, gurus, hands, hotshots, maestros, masters, mavens, meisters, proficients, scholars, sharks, sharps, virtuosos, whizzes, wizards
    related: professionals, pros, consultants, hired guns, specialists, addicts, aficionados, buffs, devotees, enthusiasts, fans, craftsmen, journeymen, all-rounders (British), jacks-of-all-trades, Renaissance men, mistresses
    opposite: amateurs, inexperts, nonexperts
    near: apprentices, beginners, neophytes, novices, dabblers, dilettantes, laymen, nonprofessionals

Related Entry: Blast (noun)

Blast is a different word from Past. The synonyms below are for blast, not for past.

  1. a loud explosive sound

    "a sharp blast of the horn startled the other driver"

    similar: bang, boom, clap, crack, crash, pop, report, slam, smash, snap, thunderclap, thwack, whack, whomp, whump
    related: thunk, wham, clang, clangor, clank, clash, knock, rap, tap, blare, clamor, howl, hubbub, hue and cry, hullabaloo, outcry, roar, tumult, uproar

  2. a sudden brief rush of wind

    "a surprise blast stole the umbrella right out of his hands"

    similar: blow, flurry, gust, scud, williwaw, windblast
    related: breeze, zephyr, current, draft, air, breath, waft, puff, whiff, bluster, gale, hurricane, squall, tempest, tornado, windstorm, northeaster, norther, northerly, northwester, southeaster, southwester, westerly

  3. the act or an instance of exploding

    "the blast destroyed the building completely"

    similar: blowup, burst, bursting, detonation, eruption, explosion, outburst
    related: discharge, firing, shooting, blowout, flare-up, bang, boom, pop, airburst, groundburst

  4. a social gathering

    "a wild fraternity blast that lasted a whole weekend"

    similar: affair, bash, binge, blowout, do, event, fete, function, get-together, party, reception, shindig
    related: benefit, fund-raiser, ball, dance, formal, prom, celebration, gala, occasion, bacchanal, bacchanalia, orgy, saturnalia, bake, clambake, cocktail party, hen party, house party, housewarming, icebreaker, kaffeeklatsch, kegger, klatch, masquerade, meet and greet, mixer, salon, shower, social, soiree, stag, supper, symposium, tea, tea party

Related Entry: Run by (phrase)

Run by is a different word from Past. The synonyms below are for run by, not for past.

  1. to put before another for acceptance or consideration

    "When you have a chance, I'd love to run some new ideas by you."

    similar: extend, give, offer, proffer, tender, trot out
    related: pose, propose, hold out, give in, submit, volunteer
    near: accept, receive, take, accredit, approbate, approve, authorize, clear, confirm, finalize, formalize, homologate, OK, ratify, sanction, warrant, decline, deny, disallow, disapprove, negative, reject, turn down, veto, rebuff, rebut, refuse, spurn, retract, withdraw, disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook

Related Entry: Endure (past) (verb)

Endure (past) is a different word from Past. The synonyms below are for endure (past), not for past.

  1. as in last (beyond), persist (beyond)

    similar: abide (beyond), hold (past), hold out (past), last (beyond), persist (beyond), outstay, draw out, perpetuate, survive, succeed, outlast, outlive, outwear

Related Entry: Endured (past) (verb)

Endured (past) is a different word from Past. The synonyms below are for endured (past), not for past.

  1. as in lasted (beyond), persisted (beyond)

    similar: abided (beyond), held (past), held out (past), lasted (beyond), persisted (beyond), outstayed, drew out, perpetuated, survived, succeeded, outlasted, outlived, outwore

Related Entry: Endures (past) (verb)

Endures (past) is a different word from Past. The synonyms below are for endures (past), not for past.

  1. as in lasts (beyond), persists (beyond)

    similar: abides (beyond), holds (past), holds out (past), lasts (beyond), persists (beyond), outstays, draws out, perpetuates, survives, succeeds, outlasts, outlives, outwears

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Past

The most common words with a similar meaning to Past:

auld lang syne, history, yesterday, yesteryear, yore, erstwhile, former, late, old, once, onetime, other, quondam, sometime, whilom, beyond, over, after, après, behind, below, following, next to, on the far side of

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Past

Words with the opposite meaning of Past:

afore, ahead of, before, ere, of, previous to, prior to, to

Related Words for Past

bygone, flashback, annals, chronicle, record, memoir, antiquity, long ago, dead, defunct, departed, expired, extinct, gone, long-ago, vanished, outside, since

Near Antonyms of Past

by-and-by, future, futurity, hereafter, offing, tomorrow, moment, now, present, today, contemporary, current, extant, ongoing, present-day, coming, prospective, unborn, inside, toward

Word Forms of Past

Derived words: pastless (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Past

Middle English, from past participle of passen to pass

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Past

Words & Phrases Containing Past

past master, past participle, past perfect, past tense, past due, past it

Frequently Asked Questions about Past

What does "Past" mean?

"Past" means ago. As an an adjective, a preposition, a noun and an adverb, it is defined as: ago. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Past"?

Other words for "Past" include auld lang syne, history, yesterday, yesteryear, yore, erstwhile, former and late. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Past" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Past"?

There are 42 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Past". Common alternatives include auld lang syne, history, yesterday, yesteryear, yore, erstwhile, former, late, old and once.

What is the opposite of "Past"?

Antonyms of "Past" include afore, ahead of, before, ere, of, previous to, prior to and to. Near antonyms include by-and-by, future, futurity and hereafter.

How do you use "Past" in a sentence?

Examples of "Past" in a sentence: "we spent a pleasant evening recalling the past together"; "a past editor of the newspaper"; "I drive past the school every day".

Is "Past" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Past" can be used as an adjective, a preposition, a noun and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Past" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Past" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Past"?

"Past" is pronounced /ˈpast/.