26984 words

past

18 definitions • 39 examples
1
in or to a position that is further than a particular point:

Examples:

I live on Station Road, just past the post office.
go past Three boys went past us on mountain bikes.
Was that Peter who just jogged past in those bright pink shorts?
2
used to say what the time is when it is a particular number of minutes after an hour:

Examples:

"Do you have the time?" "Yes, it's five/ten/a quarter/twenty/twenty-five/half past three."
I need to leave at twenty past or I'll miss that train.
3
above a particular age or further than a particular point:

Examples:

She's past the age where she needs a babysitter.
past caring Do what you want, I'm past caring (= I don't care any longer).
4
used to refer to a period of time before and until the present:

Examples:

in the past The average temperature worldwide has risen by about one degree Fahrenheit in the past 100 years.
for the past I've been walking three miles a day for the past 30 years.
over the past He was the fifth climber to die on these mountains over the past two days.
in years past In years past (= many years ago) even visiting the next village was considered a long journey.
in centuries past The museum gives an idea of how people lived in centuries past (= in previous centuries).
5
having happened or existed before now:

Examples:

past experience I know from past experience that you can't judge by appearances.
past life The prime minister's family have been instructed not to discuss his past life with the press.
6

Examples:

I'm feeling much better now that the cold weather is past.
7
of the past tense:

Examples:

"Must" does not have a past form.
8
the period before and until, but not including, the present time:

Examples:

Evolution can explain the past, but it can never predict the future.
in the past In the past, this sort of work was all done by hand.
of the past By winning the 1500 metres, he joins some of the great names of the past.
9
a part of someone's life in which they did unacceptable or dishonest things:

Examples:

with a past He's a man with a past.
His parents didn't want him to marry a woman with a past.
Emigrating was an attractive option for someone with a past they wanted to leave behind.
have a past She had a past and she didn't care who knew about it.
People in the village knew he had a past and were wary of him.
10
the form of a verb used to describe actions, events, or states that happened or existed before the present time:

Examples:

The past of "change" is "changed".
Put these sentences into the past, for example "I go to work" should become "I went to work."
11
the period before and until, but not including, the present time:

Examples:

[ U ] In the past, a streetcar line ran down 13th Avenue.
12
Your past is your life before the present time:

Examples:

[ C ] He never talks about his past.
13
having the tense used to describe actions, events, or states that happened or existed before the present time:

Examples:

The past tense of "change" is "changed."
14
on the far side of something, or from one side to the other:

Examples:

They live just past the post office.
Three boys went past us on bikes.
15
beyond or above a particular point:

Examples:

Melissa is past the age where she needs a babysitter.
It’s already past noon.
16
above a particular age or outside a stated limit:

Examples:

More and more people are working until past retirement age.
We're past the point where losing a couple of employees will save us.
17
during a period of time before and until the present:

Examples:

Our costs have risen by 15% in the past year.
He's managed the sales department for the past 10 years.
We've been discussing the issue over the past few days.
18
having happened or existed before now:

Examples:

I know from past experience that this campaign will work.

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