Comprehensive
Dictionary Suite
Help
Help
Help
 
     
Lookup History
past

past

 
 
pronunciation:
paest
parts of speech:
adjective, noun, adverb, preposition
phrases:
put (something) past
features:
Word Combinations (adjective, noun), Homophone Note, Word Explorer
part of speech: adjective
definition 1: gone by in time; not current.
The excitement of the project is past.
antonyms:
current, present
similar words:
previous
definition 2: having occurred or gone by at an earlier time; bygone.
It's important to know about past events.In past centuries, many died young.
antonyms:
current, forthcoming, future, modern, present
similar words:
bygone, early, former, old, other, previous
definition 3: just elapsed; recently gone by.
During the past hour, three buses came and left.
antonyms:
next
definition 4: ago.
We saw him only a month past.
antonyms:
later
definition 5: former.
Portraits of the club's past presidents hung on the wall.
antonyms:
current, future, present
similar words:
former, old
definition 6: in grammar, referring to the tense of a verb that expresses action in the past.
"Went" is the past form of the verb "go."
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
 
part of speech: noun
definition 1: the time that has gone by.
Such behavior would not have been tolerated in the past.
antonyms:
future, present
similar words:
history
definition 2: history, as of a nation.
The discovery of gold in California was an important event in the nation's past.
definition 3: a former time in a person's life.
She wanted to move on with her life and forget the past.
similar words:
history
definition 4: in grammar, the past tense.
"Had" is the past of "have."
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
 
part of speech: adverb
definition: so as to go by or move beyond.
He ran past instead of stopping.
 
part of speech: preposition
definition 1: beyond in time; after.
It's five minutes past the hour.
antonyms:
before
definition 2: beyond in space.
If you're going north, the gas station is past the tire store.
antonyms:
before
similar words:
outside
definition 3: along a course that goes beside and then beyond.
As I walked past the old house, I wondered if anyone still lived there.
 
definition 4: beyond the power, influence, or ability of.
His condition is past help.
definition 5: beyond the number, amount, or degree of.
My grandfather was well past eighty when he died.
phrase: put (something) past
Homophone Note
The words past and passed sound alike but have different meanings. Passed is the past tense form of the verb pass, while past means "a time before now" (noun) or "in a time before now (adjective)."
Word Explorer
See
  history