past

noun
UK: /pɑːst/
US: /pæst/

  1. The time before now.

    1. I studied hard in the past to get good grades. [ ] [ ]
    2. In the past, people relied more on handwritten letters for communication. [ ] [ ]

  2. Someone's history or background, especially when it's secret or unpleasant.

    1. His past is not something he likes to talk about. [ ] [ ]
    2. The detective investigated the suspect's past for any criminal records. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

ago previous history background bygone over yesteryear
past adjective

  1. Gone by in time; over.

    1. The danger is past, and we are safe now. [ ] [ ]
    2. With the deadline past, the project was finally completed successfully. [ ] [ ]

  2. Relating to a former time; previous.

    1. I have no past experience in this type of work. [ ] [ ]
    2. The past president's policies are still debated and analyzed today. [ ] [ ]
past verb

  1. To go by or move beyond something.

    1. We drove past the store on our way home. [ ] [ ]
    2. The cyclist sped past the crowd of onlookers during the race. [ ] [ ]

  2. To go further than someone or something else.

    1. She quickly past me in the hallway, late to her class. [ ] [ ]
    2. The runner past his competitor just before the finish line for the victory. [ ] [ ]
past preposition

  1. By, beyond, or further than.

    1. It's past my bedtime, so I need to go now. [ ] [ ]
    2. The movie is past its halfway point, nearing the climax of the story. [ ] [ ]
past adverb

  1. So as to go beyond or further than.

    1. The car sped past quickly on the highway. [ ] [ ]
    2. The news spread past the town’s limits, reaching a national audience. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "past" in English means: The time before now., Someone's history or background, especially when it's secret or unpleasant..

The phonetic transcription of "past" is /pɑːst/ in British English and /pæst/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "past": ago, previous, history, background, bygone, over, yesteryear.

Example usage of "past": "I studied hard in the past to get good grades.". More examples on the page.