past

Pronunciation: /pæst/

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun the time that has elapsed
  2. noun a earlier period in someone's life (especially one that they have reason to keep secret)
  3. noun a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the past

Etymology

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

In classic literature

Synonyms

past times, yesteryear

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
time
Narrower (hyponyms)
history, yesterday, time immemorial, old, bygone, auld langsyne
Opposite (antonyms)
future

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading

Nice save! Solidify it with review →