Definition of past in English:

past

adjective pɑːstpæst

1Gone by in time and no longer existing.
the danger is now past
Example sentencesExamples
- Above all the book recalls some of the village's characters from days long past.
- What happened in Athens is now past.
- The Conservative Party came round to him, and by October the worst of the dangers of that year were past.
- Each sketch is an individual work of art and represents a historically accurate reflection of a time past.
- But some argue the worst may be past.
- He is a reminder of the site's history, a unique tie to stories and advice from times past.
- Several of his long-time customers commented that his produce tasted better than in years past, and was keeping for longer.
- Surely the age of bigotry is past.
- The days are long past when we sent children up chimneys to sweep them.
Synonyms
gone by, over, over and done with, no more, gone, done, dead and buried, finished, ended, forgotten, bygone, former, old, of old, earlier, long-ago, ancient, defunct, extinct
literary of yore, olden, foregone
1. 1.1attributive Belonging to a former time.
  they made a study of the reasons why past attempts had failed
  he is a past chairman of the society
  Example sentencesExamples
  He is a past pupil of Gortnor Abbey Convent and Anthony is now studying at GMIT Galway.
  However they have not made any correlation between the current problem and the past accident.
  When I left I felt ashamed that even as a seasoned traveller I had avoided this area for fear of the past conflict.
  Mrs Taylor-Silk said the break would give the family a chance to forget about past worries and look to the future.
  However, in light of past practices, it is doubtful whether they will live up to those pledges.
  It is time to forget past differences and work together for the larger interest of the nation.
  The other obvious challenger is Joseba Beloki, a podium finisher in the past three Tours.
  Any artist who has had their past work stamped with classic status must surely find themselves in a bind.
  Maple Leaf Gardens has been our town square and remains a repository of our dreams and past glories.
  But she would not have to reimburse the Government for any past benefits to which she had been entitled.
  On past experience with your Journal I don't expect this pro-blood sports letter to be printed.
  Each is accused of a past crime that they have not yet been prosecuted for.
  The newly adopted Lords' amendment on smacking will inspire many parents to examine their past conduct.
  In their past nine matches they have lost seven times, and have scored just 15 times in the league all season.
  The union's offer to assist the government is completely in line with its past practices.
  Forget the past performance, you now need to focus on the future and find such investments.
  In today's Dubrovnik, you can just make out the joins where new stone has been melded with old, like the scars of a past life.
  Club captain Johnson and past captain Jacobs completed six rounds of golf in a day to raise money for charity.
  On the other hand, it is also prudent for the majority of us to learn from our past mistakes and experiences.
  Mr Wilson said past experiences had shown voting was often done in the initial days of polls opening.
  Makinen is also a past winner, all of which will make the most arduous rally in the WRC a hot contest.
  Synonyms
  previous, former, prior, foregoing, late, erstwhile, as was, one-time, sometime, ex-
  formal quondam
  archaic whilom
2. 1.2attributive (of a specified period of time) occurring before and leading up to the time of speaking or writing.
  the band has changed over the past twelve months
  Example sentencesExamples
  In all the grim news of the past couple of weeks the Special Olympics stood out as an example of the good that is in the world.
  The planting has been taking place over the past two weeks, with primary school children invited to help with the work.
  Last year we were in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and some of those other places that have been in the news this past week.
  This past weekend saw the season home opener on Saturday night against the Rams.
  Millions of pounds have been spent in an attempt to revive the town in the past five years and a new high school has been created.
  We only went out for two months over this past summer and it was really hard on her when we broke up.
  Michelle has been doing a lot of writing over the past year and has just signed a record deal with Mercury Records.
  In the past two Sundays I've seen two of the best club league games I've ever enjoyed.
  The price of a gallon of gas jumped to record highs this past week here in the United States.
  He has spent the past decade, and the past week, attempting to do just that.
  There is a long-established genre of writing about boys' public schools in the past century.
  Listen to what the vice president had to say about the Texas governor this past week.
  With just six hours opening yesterday, a spokesman for the store said it was probably one of the quieter days of the past month.
  The film Spark, which has been shot in Keighley over the past four weeks, is expected to go on general release next year.
  The school has been through a period of ups and downs over the past year.
  For the past two weeks, the Western world has seen something remarkable occur in Ukraine.
  The government has spent more than eight trillion yen in failed attempts to bail the banks out over the past four years.
  Over the past week, break-ins have taken place at Kill and also in our local church at Saleen.
  Word around Wellington in the past three weeks is that Clark's staff have been panicking.
  Sully had skipped too much school the past week and a bit to go completely unnoticed.
  Synonyms
  last, recent, preceding, latter
3. 1.3Grammar attributive (of a tense) expressing an action that has happened or a state that previously existed.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Pashto has a rich agreement mechanism, but one that is manifested differently in the present and past tenses.
  It's no secret that this was the case, but these comments were all made in the past tense.
  We often use the past tense in English to describe an imagined present or future.
  This is a bond of trust that football writers speak of only in the past tense.
  British imperialism is habitually referred to in the past tense, as if it had gone the way of the empire.

noun pɑːstpæst

1usually the pastThe time before the moment of speaking or writing.
she found it hard to make ends meet in the past
the war-damaged church is preserved as a reminder of the past
Example sentencesExamples
- We have been met in the past with surly and indifferent service at many retail outlets.
- This may be the future of policing, but it's the policing of the past.
- But something rather unexpected happened as I gazed at these images of the past.
- For Heavey, the performance served as a reminder of the consistency he has shown in the past.
- They are expressing the national agenda of their new country by documenting important moments in the past.
- Despite a rocket lending a futuristic flavour to the panto, the traditional family show also harks back to the past.
- Co-op stores in West Yorkshire have frequently been attacked in the past.
- Budding archaeologists from across the county gathered in Swindon to learn about treasures from the past.
- Deep cleaning is now required, whereas in the past street cleaners were able to keep gutters and footpaths clean.
- For each of the men their existence has been brought back to these moments of the past.
- Gradually, though, she has begun to look at other painters of the past.
- When I've had a drink in the past it's been to enhance the way I was feeling.
- It seems as if every new soul singer is instantly compared to one or more of the legends of the past.
- His history classes emphasized the importance of telling stories as a way of making sense of the past.
- As irritating as romanticising the past might be to outsiders, those bound up in it must start to consider its effects.
- Barney is more sympathetic to the suggestion that the past counts against us.
- In the past it has been dirty tricks - accidental, of course - which caused concern.
- Tennis buffs would remember them as the greatest women players from the past.
- He offers a change from the discredited old politicians of the past.
- But by the standards of the past it had been a deplorable period in local eyes.
Synonyms
formerly, previously, in days/years/times gone by, in bygone days, back in the day, in former times, in the (good) old days, at one time, in days of old, in the olden days, in olden times
before, hitherto, once, once upon a time, time was when, in auld lang syne, long ago, in antiquity
literary in days of yore, of yore, in yesteryear
1. 1.1 The history of a person or place.
  the monuments act as guidelines through the country's colourful past
  Example sentencesExamples
  We uncovered a controversial policy which allows people with serious criminal pasts to be considered for a licence if they have been ‘clean’ for as little as three years.
  Significant events from the town's past will also be acted out by Canon Slade School students.
  Detectives are interested in the past of their elderly odd-job man Romka.
  As the characters drift toward a common fate, we see their pasts in luscious detail.
  Every night after dinner my parents would sit and talk about this uncle or that aunt, talking about their individual and collective pasts.
  And it is not just the miners that use their banners as reminders of their heroic past.
  You have people with checkered pasts and lots of problems.
  The hotel has a colourful past.
  Some people fear their partners' pasts, viewing them as a threat to their own relationship.
  Two cities recently paid homage to their pasts and their futures by dedicating groves of life-giving trees with historic connections.
  The Malabar region, like any other region in Kerala, has a very rich historic past.
  Public archives are a tremendously rich resource of evidence about our collective past.
  When they die, some things will be said that haven't been said before because they are controversial figures with colourful pasts.
  We never really talked about our pasts, only our futures.
  Given Cox's past, it is hardly surprising he acquired such coping mechanisms.
  While there are still reminders of the colonial past, Sydney is a city, in human terms, in the teenage years.
  The historic broadcast presents a fascinating glimpse into the past of the country and of television itself.
  The story is beefed up with a colourful scale of playable characters who gradually join your team and unfold facets of their distinct personalities and pasts.
  They talked about their pasts, their goals, and their futures.
  Guys don't talk to each other about our feelings, and that was especially true when you lived in a foster home with six other people with pasts you knew virtually nothing about.
  Synonyms
  history, background, life story, life, experience, career to date, biography
2. 1.2informal A part of a person's history that is considered to be shameful.
  the heroine was a lady with a past
  Example sentencesExamples
  The once-revered footballer is no different from any other alcoholic with a past.
  It's a basic film noir set-up: a guy with a past and a blonde with a problem, and a supporting cast of lost souls.
  Alethea, a poet with a past, watches and notes, despite encroaching blindness.
  He's also desperate to unearth Lady Dedlock's secret past and is intent on making her life hell.
2Grammar
A past tense or form of a verb.
a simple past of the first conjugation
Example sentencesExamples
- These percentages of the simple verb form in the past were much lower than those for the simple present.
- It takes time and effort to master the vowel and consonantal changes associated with the past of irregular verbs.
- In their recounting of experience encourage them to use the past continuous and the simple past.

preposition pɑːstpæst

1To or on the further side of.
he rode on past the crossroads
Example sentencesExamples
- What might surprise you, given that you can't even see it from the busy A176 which runs past it, is the lake.
- It was once a water tank on stilts, fed by the windmill across the mud track that runs just past it.
- Cross the river by the footbridge and continue through Glen Buckie past the farm buildings of Ballimore.
- Leaving the boardwalk, the track climbed through forest and past a small waterfall.
- The three teenagers approached the victims as they walked along the alleyway past the town's bowling club.
- We wandered upstairs and downstairs, through the garden, past the vegetable plot and back to a bus stop.
- To get there, you must go past the Capitainerie and through the working bit of the boatyard.
- The conduit may have been the one running along Damgate past the north end of Baxter Row.
- The midfielder struck a low drive with the outside of his boot, past the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and off the post.
- The large bathroom lies further along the hall, past a sizable storage cupboard.
- The sun was just reaching its peak when the horse and rider rode past the town's gates.
- I walked several miles south along the beach past Venice and just spent some time relaxing and breathing in the sea air.
- From that classroom, you turned down a side corridor, past the changing rooms and into the sports hall.
- The ride will take them along the coast of Port Philip Bay and past seaside villages along the Morning Peninsula.
- She managed to break free and ran back past the station, through the town centre to Parkway.
- A stroll through the gardens, past the pools and down a short flight of steps brought me to a great sweep of dark golden beach.
- Explore the Lowther Hills or wander along lower-level paths, past the old lead mine workings.
- Five minutes later Owen beat Dixon to a long through ball and side footed the ball past Seaman for a late, late winner.
- A few miles along the river, continue past the ruins of a twelfth century abbey, and over an old stone bridge.
- There is no time to get Tom, so he follows the men through the town and past the quarry.
Synonyms
into and out of, to the far side of, to the other side of, from one side of … to the other, from end to end of, between, past, by, down, along, across, by way of, via
1. 1.1 In front of or from one side to the other of.
  he began to drive slowly past the houses
  Example sentencesExamples
  The police car sped straight through and past them without stopping, without even slowing.
  I got my boyfriend to come and see and we saw them move fast past the front of our house and out of sight.
  I used to walk past it every day, down a long, winding, black path to school in the morning.
  He was worried that due to a hangover I might not make my plane so he and his wife decided to drive past my house just to check.
  I knew it to be Tom, and was not pleased to think that soon he would ride past me, teasing and making jests.
  Since Christmas however, she had changed her route because she couldn't face walking past it every day.
  As I drove past it yesterday I allowed my imagination to range over possible meanings.
  He can look back happily on all that: he owns the huge mansion he rode past on his bicycle while on his way to work in a factory.
  He was riding past us now, so I looked up to see better what he looked like.
  Huge crowds are expected to file past the coffin, which will be guarded by a contingent of Gentlemen at Arms and Yeoman of the Guard.
  Twice a day I drive past it, on the way to work and on the way home.
  He rides past a big white church on the left of him and passes some condos to his right.
  A wheelchair can be a terrific advantage in life: you zoom past queues and everyone's very nice to you.
  Jamie felt the cold wind blow past him as he rode through the hills faster than he ever had in his life.
  The truck lurched through the streets, past buildings burning unabated and MPs in gun turrets.
  Indeed, for a year or two in the early 1990s I must have taken the 53 bus past it twice a day.
  Clem is sitting in the corner and I have to negotiate my way past several people to reach him.
  I've walked past it loads of times and from the outside always thought it was just a dowdy 70s office block.
  I rode past many miles of homes and finally reached the bit of road that was more used.
  They tiptoed along the wooden corridor past the closed door of the baby's room.
  Synonyms
  in front of, by, beyond
2Beyond in time; later than.
by this time it was past 3.30
my watch said twenty past twelve
Example sentencesExamples
- It was a fabulous gig, and the fans were so revved up by the event that we all must have stayed up well past 11.35 pm.
- At half past midnight in the bar of the Bull Bay Hotel I meet Pat, an old diving instructor.
- I arranged to meet Stephen at half past two.
- At half past midday, during lunch, Pétain announces the cessation of hostilities.
- It was six days after Mandy disappeared that the Barclays' doorbell rang at half past midnight.
- The quiz only takes seconds, but the reading of the in-depth results may take you past your coffee break limit.
- He kept us up until well past 4am with hilarious stories of an actor's life.
- I got back from Lucca at half past midnight this morning, and spent about two minutes sorting the paper post.
- About half past midnight, the side-car stopped on a bridge above the Seine.
- We have had just 30 minutes of debate: we started at 20 to 5 and finished at 10 past 5.
- I intend to continue practicing law past my 65th birthday, for as long as the firm will tolerate me.
- The family has been told Kerry is unlikely to live past his early teens.
- Sober, sensible readers who get to bed by half past ten may have no fun, but they may be less likely to get heart disease than the rest of us.
Synonyms
beyond, beyond the limits of, in excess of
3No longer capable of.
he is past giving the best advice
Example sentencesExamples
- Perhaps foolishly I thought I was past getting excited by press releases.
- It is impossible to capture the magic of Galway and most folk are well past analysing it all.
- They were past being polite.
1. 3.1 Beyond the limits or scope of.
  I was long past caring and immediately fell asleep on the bed
  Example sentencesExamples
  To have some other arena past college to strive for is a great prospect for our kids.
  How did so much bad writing get past the early script development phase, let alone into a final cut?
  Indeed, institutions such as universities are now bureaucratized past belief.
  Invariably, they are sent at night by someone well past the legal limit for safe driving.
  It will be a dream come true for all those who can't think past flowers to score with their girlfriends.
  This year, she has taken her earnings past $6 million.
  The garden is looking past its best and I'll soon have to go and put it to bed for the winter.
  The blog is still up, but for reasons I no longer recall, I never got past four entries, and then gave up on the thing.
  Umberto says that to get past your physical limits you must dive with your head.
  You have to be able to extend yourself past your limits and work in new ways for the individual.
  If you can get past half the vocalists, there is some level of interest to be found.
  When you get past the early stages you will both work out what gets to each of you.
  Once you get past that, young teenagers are capable of being as sophisticated as adults, but they are not seen to count.

adverb pɑːstpæst

1So as to pass from one side of something to the other.
a flotilla of glossy limousines swept past
Example sentencesExamples
- All day I have been watching the marchers file past, a few with flags, more with placards, all in a holiday mood.
- We watched as they came past, and then took the shortcut home, up through the sheep field to the Abbey.
- As the air rushes past it collects small quantities of the solution which are then deposited onto the skin.
- As Chris looked out his window, he saw a small bunny rabbit hop past through the yard.
- As we rode past, a kitten stumbled out of the tall grass into the road.
- You can take your potato to a bench or a wall and watch people walk past.
- The defendant was cycling behind her and she stepped to one side to let him past.
- She said that from her living room she caught a glimpse of the car going past and then heard the bang.
- As he spoke, a car whistled past with a loudspeaker reminding people it was polling day.
- I knew his timing, so one day I hid in the bushes at the hotel gate and photographed him as he rode past.
- He was much quicker but could not get past and unfortunately, the time deficit by the time of his first stop was too big to handle.
- Maria had just turned the corner when she spotted Val riding past.
- I watch the birds flying past in the sky, I listen to the sound of the oceans coming from the open windows.
- Erin McGrath witnessed the aftermath of the crash when she walked past half an hour later.
- I then had to lie there, for five minutes, as boys on bikes rode past and laughed at me.
- We've laughed at a bloke riding past on a bike and almost falling off as he tried to see through our window.
- Stopping at a red light, I idly watched a couple walking past, deep in an argument.
- Lone office workers bit into their lunches and watched people walk past, just as I was.
- I joined the queue about 15 cars behind him, so it took a good twenty minutes to get past.
- Becki pressed her face against the glass window and watched the world go past.
Synonyms
along, by, on
2Used to indicate the lapse of time.
a week went past and nothing changed
Example sentencesExamples
- Be careful though, you might get into a story-telling session and find the whole day has sped past.
- Many folks lack the courage to do so, even when the time to wait before acting is long past.
- We can recollect or retrospect the nature or character of a mental event just past.
- The next half hour went past amazingly fast.
- Another hour will go past before they have a result.

Phrases

not put it past someone

Believe someone to be capable of doing a particular wrong or rash thing.
I wouldn't put it past him to slip something into the drinks
Example sentencesExamples
- I certainly didn't put it past her to force herself upon me in the cabin.
- I didn't put it past Nathaniel to make her a tool in his vendetta against Thomas.
- But if a playoff team loses a player or decides it's a rebounder short of being a contender, don't put it past Rodman to make yet another return to his pogo-stick-like career.
- He hasn't disappointed himself or me yet, so I don't put it past him to make something happen within a year.
- Just kidding about that last one-but don't put it past them!
- Unless Labour announces a tax-break for publishers in the next Budget (and don't put it past them) this whole row should die down quickly.
- And I don't put it past Bremer and his crew to seriously botch this whole thing.
- Amanda was horrified and didn't put it past Emma to do such a thing.
- She had been pulling stuff like that since he'd left her, and he didn't put it past her to poison Rose against him.

past it

informal Too old to be of any use or any good at anything.
he was taken into his father-in-law's firm and became a partner when the old man got past it
Example sentencesExamples
- Many argue that Zabel might now well be past it and the time has come to allow the younger generation to move their way through the ranks.
- In his considered opinion Mr Dylan is past it and there is no way he could be associated with him.
- As always these days, Clint's character, a down-at-heel boxing trainer, is old and past it.
- He reportedly told Shearer that he was past it and his legs had gone.
- Make a mistake late in your career, and the chances are you will be described as past it.
- There is an idea that every player who shared in the '98 glory should be there this time, whether he is past it or not.
- Brace yourselves for an apology: last week, we accused Bon Jovi of being past it.
- These people were mostly pensioners, belonging to the age group written off as past it by most employers.
- That's anyone under the age of 25 who decrees celebs, gushy reader advice and horoscopes to be past it.
- Hierro is also coming back from injury and the word is that he is too old and past it.
Synonyms
past one's prime, not as young as one was, not as young as one used to be

Derivatives

pastness

noun

She also says that the accompanying photographs provide ‘an exquisite index of the pastness of the past.’
Example sentencesExamples
- It calls up the seeming paradox of writing a history, an account of pastness, of things that are of the relative present.
- Yet pastness and futurity, he argued, are inherently contradictory; so nothing in reality can correspond to them.
- There is a patina of pastness and folkloric authenticity that pervades the marketplace.
- Past actions and characters are determinate because of their very pastness.

Origin

Middle English: variant of passed, past participle of pass¹.

Rhymes

aghast, avast, Belfast, blast, cast, caste, contrast, fast, last, mast, miscast, outlast, unsurpassed, vast

Definition of past in US English:

past

adjectivepastpæst

1Gone by in time and no longer existing.
the danger is now past
Example sentencesExamples
- Each sketch is an individual work of art and represents a historically accurate reflection of a time past.
- The Conservative Party came round to him, and by October the worst of the dangers of that year were past.
- What happened in Athens is now past.
- But some argue the worst may be past.
- Above all the book recalls some of the village's characters from days long past.
- Several of his long-time customers commented that his produce tasted better than in years past, and was keeping for longer.
- He is a reminder of the site's history, a unique tie to stories and advice from times past.
- Surely the age of bigotry is past.
- The days are long past when we sent children up chimneys to sweep them.
Synonyms
gone by, over, over and done with, no more, gone, done, dead and buried, finished, ended, forgotten, bygone, former, old, of old, earlier, long-ago, ancient, defunct, extinct
1. 1.1attributive Belonging to a former time.
  they made a study of the reasons why past attempts had failed
  he is a past chairman of the society
  Example sentencesExamples
  In their past nine matches they have lost seven times, and have scored just 15 times in the league all season.
  In today's Dubrovnik, you can just make out the joins where new stone has been melded with old, like the scars of a past life.
  Maple Leaf Gardens has been our town square and remains a repository of our dreams and past glories.
  When I left I felt ashamed that even as a seasoned traveller I had avoided this area for fear of the past conflict.
  Club captain Johnson and past captain Jacobs completed six rounds of golf in a day to raise money for charity.
  Makinen is also a past winner, all of which will make the most arduous rally in the WRC a hot contest.
  However they have not made any correlation between the current problem and the past accident.
  Each is accused of a past crime that they have not yet been prosecuted for.
  Mr Wilson said past experiences had shown voting was often done in the initial days of polls opening.
  On the other hand, it is also prudent for the majority of us to learn from our past mistakes and experiences.
  The newly adopted Lords' amendment on smacking will inspire many parents to examine their past conduct.
  Forget the past performance, you now need to focus on the future and find such investments.
  The other obvious challenger is Joseba Beloki, a podium finisher in the past three Tours.
  The union's offer to assist the government is completely in line with its past practices.
  He is a past pupil of Gortnor Abbey Convent and Anthony is now studying at GMIT Galway.
  On past experience with your Journal I don't expect this pro-blood sports letter to be printed.
  However, in light of past practices, it is doubtful whether they will live up to those pledges.
  It is time to forget past differences and work together for the larger interest of the nation.
  Any artist who has had their past work stamped with classic status must surely find themselves in a bind.
  Mrs Taylor-Silk said the break would give the family a chance to forget about past worries and look to the future.
  But she would not have to reimburse the Government for any past benefits to which she had been entitled.
  Synonyms
  previous, former, prior, foregoing, late, erstwhile, as was, one-time, sometime, ex-
2. 1.2attributive (of a specified period of time) occurring before and leading up to the time of speaking or writing.
  the band has changed over the past twelve months
  Example sentencesExamples
  For the past two weeks, the Western world has seen something remarkable occur in Ukraine.
  Word around Wellington in the past three weeks is that Clark's staff have been panicking.
  Listen to what the vice president had to say about the Texas governor this past week.
  Sully had skipped too much school the past week and a bit to go completely unnoticed.
  The school has been through a period of ups and downs over the past year.
  Michelle has been doing a lot of writing over the past year and has just signed a record deal with Mercury Records.
  He has spent the past decade, and the past week, attempting to do just that.
  Last year we were in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and some of those other places that have been in the news this past week.
  In the past two Sundays I've seen two of the best club league games I've ever enjoyed.
  The price of a gallon of gas jumped to record highs this past week here in the United States.
  The film Spark, which has been shot in Keighley over the past four weeks, is expected to go on general release next year.
  Over the past week, break-ins have taken place at Kill and also in our local church at Saleen.
  Millions of pounds have been spent in an attempt to revive the town in the past five years and a new high school has been created.
  With just six hours opening yesterday, a spokesman for the store said it was probably one of the quieter days of the past month.
  This past weekend saw the season home opener on Saturday night against the Rams.
  We only went out for two months over this past summer and it was really hard on her when we broke up.
  The planting has been taking place over the past two weeks, with primary school children invited to help with the work.
  There is a long-established genre of writing about boys' public schools in the past century.
  The government has spent more than eight trillion yen in failed attempts to bail the banks out over the past four years.
  In all the grim news of the past couple of weeks the Special Olympics stood out as an example of the good that is in the world.
  Synonyms
  last, recent, preceding, latter
3. 1.3Grammar (of a tense) expressing an action that has happened or a state that previously existed.
  Example sentencesExamples
  Pashto has a rich agreement mechanism, but one that is manifested differently in the present and past tenses.
  It's no secret that this was the case, but these comments were all made in the past tense.
  British imperialism is habitually referred to in the past tense, as if it had gone the way of the empire.
  We often use the past tense in English to describe an imagined present or future.
  This is a bond of trust that football writers speak of only in the past tense.

nounpastpæst

1usually the pastThe time or a period of time before the moment of speaking or writing.
she found it hard to make ends meet in the past
the war-damaged church is preserved as a reminder of the past
Example sentencesExamples
- As irritating as romanticising the past might be to outsiders, those bound up in it must start to consider its effects.
- Gradually, though, she has begun to look at other painters of the past.
- We have been met in the past with surly and indifferent service at many retail outlets.
- Co-op stores in West Yorkshire have frequently been attacked in the past.
- His history classes emphasized the importance of telling stories as a way of making sense of the past.
- Budding archaeologists from across the county gathered in Swindon to learn about treasures from the past.
- In the past it has been dirty tricks - accidental, of course - which caused concern.
- Despite a rocket lending a futuristic flavour to the panto, the traditional family show also harks back to the past.
- This may be the future of policing, but it's the policing of the past.
- Deep cleaning is now required, whereas in the past street cleaners were able to keep gutters and footpaths clean.
- He offers a change from the discredited old politicians of the past.
- Barney is more sympathetic to the suggestion that the past counts against us.
- But by the standards of the past it had been a deplorable period in local eyes.
- For each of the men their existence has been brought back to these moments of the past.
- Tennis buffs would remember them as the greatest women players from the past.
- For Heavey, the performance served as a reminder of the consistency he has shown in the past.
- They are expressing the national agenda of their new country by documenting important moments in the past.
- It seems as if every new soul singer is instantly compared to one or more of the legends of the past.
- When I've had a drink in the past it's been to enhance the way I was feeling.
- But something rather unexpected happened as I gazed at these images of the past.
Synonyms
formerly, previously, in days gone by, in times gone by, in years gone by, in bygone days, back in the day, in former times, in the old days, in the good old days, at one time, in days of old, in the olden days, in olden times
1. 1.1 The history of a person, country, or institution.
  the monuments act as guidelines through the country's colorful past
  Example sentencesExamples
  Some people fear their partners' pasts, viewing them as a threat to their own relationship.
  We never really talked about our pasts, only our futures.
  Detectives are interested in the past of their elderly odd-job man Romka.
  When they die, some things will be said that haven't been said before because they are controversial figures with colourful pasts.
  Guys don't talk to each other about our feelings, and that was especially true when you lived in a foster home with six other people with pasts you knew virtually nothing about.
  The historic broadcast presents a fascinating glimpse into the past of the country and of television itself.
  Every night after dinner my parents would sit and talk about this uncle or that aunt, talking about their individual and collective pasts.
  The Malabar region, like any other region in Kerala, has a very rich historic past.
  Significant events from the town's past will also be acted out by Canon Slade School students.
  You have people with checkered pasts and lots of problems.
  They talked about their pasts, their goals, and their futures.
  As the characters drift toward a common fate, we see their pasts in luscious detail.
  The hotel has a colourful past.
  While there are still reminders of the colonial past, Sydney is a city, in human terms, in the teenage years.
  The story is beefed up with a colourful scale of playable characters who gradually join your team and unfold facets of their distinct personalities and pasts.
  Two cities recently paid homage to their pasts and their futures by dedicating groves of life-giving trees with historic connections.
  Given Cox's past, it is hardly surprising he acquired such coping mechanisms.
  And it is not just the miners that use their banners as reminders of their heroic past.
  We uncovered a controversial policy which allows people with serious criminal pasts to be considered for a licence if they have been ‘clean’ for as little as three years.
  Public archives are a tremendously rich resource of evidence about our collective past.
  Synonyms
  history, background, life story, life, experience, career to date, biography
2. 1.2informal A part of a person's history that is considered to be shameful.
  the heroine was a lady with a past
  Example sentencesExamples
  He's also desperate to unearth Lady Dedlock's secret past and is intent on making her life hell.
  The once-revered footballer is no different from any other alcoholic with a past.
  Alethea, a poet with a past, watches and notes, despite encroaching blindness.
  It's a basic film noir set-up: a guy with a past and a blonde with a problem, and a supporting cast of lost souls.
2Grammar
A past tense or form of a verb.
a simple past of the first conjugation
Example sentencesExamples
- It takes time and effort to master the vowel and consonantal changes associated with the past of irregular verbs.
- These percentages of the simple verb form in the past were much lower than those for the simple present.
- In their recounting of experience encourage them to use the past continuous and the simple past.

prepositionpastpæst

1To or on the further side of.
he rode on past the crossroads
Example sentencesExamples
- It was once a water tank on stilts, fed by the windmill across the mud track that runs just past it.
- There is no time to get Tom, so he follows the men through the town and past the quarry.
- From that classroom, you turned down a side corridor, past the changing rooms and into the sports hall.
- The sun was just reaching its peak when the horse and rider rode past the town's gates.
- Leaving the boardwalk, the track climbed through forest and past a small waterfall.
- What might surprise you, given that you can't even see it from the busy A176 which runs past it, is the lake.
- The large bathroom lies further along the hall, past a sizable storage cupboard.
- A stroll through the gardens, past the pools and down a short flight of steps brought me to a great sweep of dark golden beach.
- Five minutes later Owen beat Dixon to a long through ball and side footed the ball past Seaman for a late, late winner.
- To get there, you must go past the Capitainerie and through the working bit of the boatyard.
- She managed to break free and ran back past the station, through the town centre to Parkway.
- I walked several miles south along the beach past Venice and just spent some time relaxing and breathing in the sea air.
- The conduit may have been the one running along Damgate past the north end of Baxter Row.
- The ride will take them along the coast of Port Philip Bay and past seaside villages along the Morning Peninsula.
- We wandered upstairs and downstairs, through the garden, past the vegetable plot and back to a bus stop.
- A few miles along the river, continue past the ruins of a twelfth century abbey, and over an old stone bridge.
- Explore the Lowther Hills or wander along lower-level paths, past the old lead mine workings.
- The three teenagers approached the victims as they walked along the alleyway past the town's bowling club.
- The midfielder struck a low drive with the outside of his boot, past the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and off the post.
- Cross the river by the footbridge and continue through Glen Buckie past the farm buildings of Ballimore.
Synonyms
into and out of, to the far side of, to the other side of, from one side of … to the other, from end to end of, between, past, by, down, along, across, by way of, via
1. 1.1 In front of or from one side to the other of.
  he began to drive slowly past the houses
  Example sentencesExamples
  I knew it to be Tom, and was not pleased to think that soon he would ride past me, teasing and making jests.
  He can look back happily on all that: he owns the huge mansion he rode past on his bicycle while on his way to work in a factory.
  The truck lurched through the streets, past buildings burning unabated and MPs in gun turrets.
  Clem is sitting in the corner and I have to negotiate my way past several people to reach him.
  He was worried that due to a hangover I might not make my plane so he and his wife decided to drive past my house just to check.
  Since Christmas however, she had changed her route because she couldn't face walking past it every day.
  Twice a day I drive past it, on the way to work and on the way home.
  As I drove past it yesterday I allowed my imagination to range over possible meanings.
  I got my boyfriend to come and see and we saw them move fast past the front of our house and out of sight.
  They tiptoed along the wooden corridor past the closed door of the baby's room.
  He rides past a big white church on the left of him and passes some condos to his right.
  The police car sped straight through and past them without stopping, without even slowing.
  A wheelchair can be a terrific advantage in life: you zoom past queues and everyone's very nice to you.
  I used to walk past it every day, down a long, winding, black path to school in the morning.
  I've walked past it loads of times and from the outside always thought it was just a dowdy 70s office block.
  Jamie felt the cold wind blow past him as he rode through the hills faster than he ever had in his life.
  Huge crowds are expected to file past the coffin, which will be guarded by a contingent of Gentlemen at Arms and Yeoman of the Guard.
  He was riding past us now, so I looked up to see better what he looked like.
  Indeed, for a year or two in the early 1990s I must have taken the 53 bus past it twice a day.
  I rode past many miles of homes and finally reached the bit of road that was more used.
  Synonyms
  in front of, by, beyond
2. 1.2 Beyond in time; later than.
  by this time it was past 3:30
  Example sentencesExamples
  At half past midnight in the bar of the Bull Bay Hotel I meet Pat, an old diving instructor.
  We have had just 30 minutes of debate: we started at 20 to 5 and finished at 10 past 5.
  Sober, sensible readers who get to bed by half past ten may have no fun, but they may be less likely to get heart disease than the rest of us.
  He kept us up until well past 4am with hilarious stories of an actor's life.
  I arranged to meet Stephen at half past two.
  It was six days after Mandy disappeared that the Barclays' doorbell rang at half past midnight.
  At half past midday, during lunch, Pétain announces the cessation of hostilities.
  The family has been told Kerry is unlikely to live past his early teens.
  I intend to continue practicing law past my 65th birthday, for as long as the firm will tolerate me.
  About half past midnight, the side-car stopped on a bridge above the Seine.
  I got back from Lucca at half past midnight this morning, and spent about two minutes sorting the paper post.
  The quiz only takes seconds, but the reading of the in-depth results may take you past your coffee break limit.
  It was a fabulous gig, and the fans were so revved up by the event that we all must have stayed up well past 11.35 pm.
  Synonyms
  beyond, beyond the limits of, in excess of
3. 1.3 No longer capable of.
  he is past giving the best advice
  Example sentencesExamples
  It is impossible to capture the magic of Galway and most folk are well past analysing it all.
  Perhaps foolishly I thought I was past getting excited by press releases.
  They were past being polite.
4. 1.4 Beyond the scope of.
  my hair was past praying for
  Example sentencesExamples
  Invariably, they are sent at night by someone well past the legal limit for safe driving.
  The blog is still up, but for reasons I no longer recall, I never got past four entries, and then gave up on the thing.
  Umberto says that to get past your physical limits you must dive with your head.
  How did so much bad writing get past the early script development phase, let alone into a final cut?
  When you get past the early stages you will both work out what gets to each of you.
  The garden is looking past its best and I'll soon have to go and put it to bed for the winter.
  You have to be able to extend yourself past your limits and work in new ways for the individual.
  To have some other arena past college to strive for is a great prospect for our kids.
  This year, she has taken her earnings past $6 million.
  If you can get past half the vocalists, there is some level of interest to be found.
  It will be a dream come true for all those who can't think past flowers to score with their girlfriends.
  Once you get past that, young teenagers are capable of being as sophisticated as adults, but they are not seen to count.
  Indeed, institutions such as universities are now bureaucratized past belief.

adverbpastpæst

1So as to pass from one side of something to the other.
large angelfish swim slowly past
Example sentencesExamples
- As the air rushes past it collects small quantities of the solution which are then deposited onto the skin.
- All day I have been watching the marchers file past, a few with flags, more with placards, all in a holiday mood.
- He was much quicker but could not get past and unfortunately, the time deficit by the time of his first stop was too big to handle.
- As we rode past, a kitten stumbled out of the tall grass into the road.
- Becki pressed her face against the glass window and watched the world go past.
- I joined the queue about 15 cars behind him, so it took a good twenty minutes to get past.
- Stopping at a red light, I idly watched a couple walking past, deep in an argument.
- Erin McGrath witnessed the aftermath of the crash when she walked past half an hour later.
- I watch the birds flying past in the sky, I listen to the sound of the oceans coming from the open windows.
- I knew his timing, so one day I hid in the bushes at the hotel gate and photographed him as he rode past.
- Maria had just turned the corner when she spotted Val riding past.
- As Chris looked out his window, he saw a small bunny rabbit hop past through the yard.
- Lone office workers bit into their lunches and watched people walk past, just as I was.
- The defendant was cycling behind her and she stepped to one side to let him past.
- I then had to lie there, for five minutes, as boys on bikes rode past and laughed at me.
- She said that from her living room she caught a glimpse of the car going past and then heard the bang.
- As he spoke, a car whistled past with a loudspeaker reminding people it was polling day.
- We watched as they came past, and then took the shortcut home, up through the sheep field to the Abbey.
- We've laughed at a bloke riding past on a bike and almost falling off as he tried to see through our window.
- You can take your potato to a bench or a wall and watch people walk past.
Synonyms
along, by, on
1. 1.1 Used to indicate the lapse of time.
  a week went past and nothing changed
  Example sentencesExamples
  The next half hour went past amazingly fast.
  Another hour will go past before they have a result.
  Many folks lack the courage to do so, even when the time to wait before acting is long past.
  Be careful though, you might get into a story-telling session and find the whole day has sped past.
  We can recollect or retrospect the nature or character of a mental event just past.
2Used to indicate the lapse of time.
a week went past and nothing changed

Phrases

not put it past someone

Believe someone to be capable of doing something wrong or rash.
I wouldn't put it past him to slip something into the drinks
Example sentencesExamples
- And I don't put it past Bremer and his crew to seriously botch this whole thing.
- She had been pulling stuff like that since he'd left her, and he didn't put it past her to poison Rose against him.
- Unless Labour announces a tax-break for publishers in the next Budget (and don't put it past them) this whole row should die down quickly.
- Just kidding about that last one-but don't put it past them!
- But if a playoff team loses a player or decides it's a rebounder short of being a contender, don't put it past Rodman to make yet another return to his pogo-stick-like career.
- Amanda was horrified and didn't put it past Emma to do such a thing.
- He hasn't disappointed himself or me yet, so I don't put it past him to make something happen within a year.
- I certainly didn't put it past her to force herself upon me in the cabin.
- I didn't put it past Nathaniel to make her a tool in his vendetta against Thomas.

Origin

Middle English: variant of passed, past participle of pass.

单词	past
释义	Definition of past in English: past adjective pɑːstpæst 1Gone by in time and no longer existing. the danger is now past Example sentencesExamples Above all the book recalls some of the village's characters from days long past. What happened in Athens is now past. The Conservative Party came round to him, and by October the worst of the dangers of that year were past. Each sketch is an individual work of art and represents a historically accurate reflection of a time past. But some argue the worst may be past. He is a reminder of the site's history, a unique tie to stories and advice from times past. Several of his long-time customers commented that his produce tasted better than in years past, and was keeping for longer. Surely the age of bigotry is past. The days are long past when we sent children up chimneys to sweep them. Synonyms gone by, over, over and done with, no more, gone, done, dead and buried, finished, ended, forgotten, bygone, former, old, of old, earlier, long-ago, ancient, defunct, extinct literary of yore, olden, foregone 1.1attributive Belonging to a former time. they made a study of the reasons why past attempts had failed he is a past chairman of the society Example sentencesExamples He is a past pupil of Gortnor Abbey Convent and Anthony is now studying at GMIT Galway. However they have not made any correlation between the current problem and the past accident. When I left I felt ashamed that even as a seasoned traveller I had avoided this area for fear of the past conflict. Mrs Taylor-Silk said the break would give the family a chance to forget about past worries and look to the future. However, in light of past practices, it is doubtful whether they will live up to those pledges. It is time to forget past differences and work together for the larger interest of the nation. The other obvious challenger is Joseba Beloki, a podium finisher in the past three Tours. Any artist who has had their past work stamped with classic status must surely find themselves in a bind. Maple Leaf Gardens has been our town square and remains a repository of our dreams and past glories. But she would not have to reimburse the Government for any past benefits to which she had been entitled. On past experience with your Journal I don't expect this pro-blood sports letter to be printed. Each is accused of a past crime that they have not yet been prosecuted for. The newly adopted Lords' amendment on smacking will inspire many parents to examine their past conduct. In their past nine matches they have lost seven times, and have scored just 15 times in the league all season. The union's offer to assist the government is completely in line with its past practices. Forget the past performance, you now need to focus on the future and find such investments. In today's Dubrovnik, you can just make out the joins where new stone has been melded with old, like the scars of a past life. Club captain Johnson and past captain Jacobs completed six rounds of golf in a day to raise money for charity. On the other hand, it is also prudent for the majority of us to learn from our past mistakes and experiences. Mr Wilson said past experiences had shown voting was often done in the initial days of polls opening. Makinen is also a past winner, all of which will make the most arduous rally in the WRC a hot contest. Synonyms previous, former, prior, foregoing, late, erstwhile, as was, one-time, sometime, ex- formal quondam archaic whilom 1.2attributive (of a specified period of time) occurring before and leading up to the time of speaking or writing. the band has changed over the past twelve months Example sentencesExamples In all the grim news of the past couple of weeks the Special Olympics stood out as an example of the good that is in the world. The planting has been taking place over the past two weeks, with primary school children invited to help with the work. Last year we were in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and some of those other places that have been in the news this past week. This past weekend saw the season home opener on Saturday night against the Rams. Millions of pounds have been spent in an attempt to revive the town in the past five years and a new high school has been created. We only went out for two months over this past summer and it was really hard on her when we broke up. Michelle has been doing a lot of writing over the past year and has just signed a record deal with Mercury Records. In the past two Sundays I've seen two of the best club league games I've ever enjoyed. The price of a gallon of gas jumped to record highs this past week here in the United States. He has spent the past decade, and the past week, attempting to do just that. There is a long-established genre of writing about boys' public schools in the past century. Listen to what the vice president had to say about the Texas governor this past week. With just six hours opening yesterday, a spokesman for the store said it was probably one of the quieter days of the past month. The film Spark, which has been shot in Keighley over the past four weeks, is expected to go on general release next year. The school has been through a period of ups and downs over the past year. For the past two weeks, the Western world has seen something remarkable occur in Ukraine. The government has spent more than eight trillion yen in failed attempts to bail the banks out over the past four years. Over the past week, break-ins have taken place at Kill and also in our local church at Saleen. Word around Wellington in the past three weeks is that Clark's staff have been panicking. Sully had skipped too much school the past week and a bit to go completely unnoticed. Synonyms last, recent, preceding, latter 1.3Grammar attributive (of a tense) expressing an action that has happened or a state that previously existed. Example sentencesExamples Pashto has a rich agreement mechanism, but one that is manifested differently in the present and past tenses. It's no secret that this was the case, but these comments were all made in the past tense. We often use the past tense in English to describe an imagined present or future. This is a bond of trust that football writers speak of only in the past tense. British imperialism is habitually referred to in the past tense, as if it had gone the way of the empire. noun pɑːstpæst 1usually the pastThe time before the moment of speaking or writing. she found it hard to make ends meet in the past the war-damaged church is preserved as a reminder of the past Example sentencesExamples We have been met in the past with surly and indifferent service at many retail outlets. This may be the future of policing, but it's the policing of the past. But something rather unexpected happened as I gazed at these images of the past. For Heavey, the performance served as a reminder of the consistency he has shown in the past. They are expressing the national agenda of their new country by documenting important moments in the past. Despite a rocket lending a futuristic flavour to the panto, the traditional family show also harks back to the past. Co-op stores in West Yorkshire have frequently been attacked in the past. Budding archaeologists from across the county gathered in Swindon to learn about treasures from the past. Deep cleaning is now required, whereas in the past street cleaners were able to keep gutters and footpaths clean. For each of the men their existence has been brought back to these moments of the past. Gradually, though, she has begun to look at other painters of the past. When I've had a drink in the past it's been to enhance the way I was feeling. It seems as if every new soul singer is instantly compared to one or more of the legends of the past. His history classes emphasized the importance of telling stories as a way of making sense of the past. As irritating as romanticising the past might be to outsiders, those bound up in it must start to consider its effects. Barney is more sympathetic to the suggestion that the past counts against us. In the past it has been dirty tricks - accidental, of course - which caused concern. Tennis buffs would remember them as the greatest women players from the past. He offers a change from the discredited old politicians of the past. But by the standards of the past it had been a deplorable period in local eyes. Synonyms formerly, previously, in days/years/times gone by, in bygone days, back in the day, in former times, in the (good) old days, at one time, in days of old, in the olden days, in olden times before, hitherto, once, once upon a time, time was when, in auld lang syne, long ago, in antiquity literary in days of yore, of yore, in yesteryear 1.1 The history of a person or place. the monuments act as guidelines through the country's colourful past Example sentencesExamples We uncovered a controversial policy which allows people with serious criminal pasts to be considered for a licence if they have been ‘clean’ for as little as three years. Significant events from the town's past will also be acted out by Canon Slade School students. Detectives are interested in the past of their elderly odd-job man Romka. As the characters drift toward a common fate, we see their pasts in luscious detail. Every night after dinner my parents would sit and talk about this uncle or that aunt, talking about their individual and collective pasts. And it is not just the miners that use their banners as reminders of their heroic past. You have people with checkered pasts and lots of problems. The hotel has a colourful past. Some people fear their partners' pasts, viewing them as a threat to their own relationship. Two cities recently paid homage to their pasts and their futures by dedicating groves of life-giving trees with historic connections. The Malabar region, like any other region in Kerala, has a very rich historic past. Public archives are a tremendously rich resource of evidence about our collective past. When they die, some things will be said that haven't been said before because they are controversial figures with colourful pasts. We never really talked about our pasts, only our futures. Given Cox's past, it is hardly surprising he acquired such coping mechanisms. While there are still reminders of the colonial past, Sydney is a city, in human terms, in the teenage years. The historic broadcast presents a fascinating glimpse into the past of the country and of television itself. The story is beefed up with a colourful scale of playable characters who gradually join your team and unfold facets of their distinct personalities and pasts. They talked about their pasts, their goals, and their futures. Guys don't talk to each other about our feelings, and that was especially true when you lived in a foster home with six other people with pasts you knew virtually nothing about. Synonyms history, background, life story, life, experience, career to date, biography 1.2informal A part of a person's history that is considered to be shameful. the heroine was a lady with a past Example sentencesExamples The once-revered footballer is no different from any other alcoholic with a past. It's a basic film noir set-up: a guy with a past and a blonde with a problem, and a supporting cast of lost souls. Alethea, a poet with a past, watches and notes, despite encroaching blindness. He's also desperate to unearth Lady Dedlock's secret past and is intent on making her life hell. 2Grammar A past tense or form of a verb. a simple past of the first conjugation Example sentencesExamples These percentages of the simple verb form in the past were much lower than those for the simple present. It takes time and effort to master the vowel and consonantal changes associated with the past of irregular verbs. In their recounting of experience encourage them to use the past continuous and the simple past. preposition pɑːstpæst 1To or on the further side of. he rode on past the crossroads Example sentencesExamples What might surprise you, given that you can't even see it from the busy A176 which runs past it, is the lake. It was once a water tank on stilts, fed by the windmill across the mud track that runs just past it. Cross the river by the footbridge and continue through Glen Buckie past the farm buildings of Ballimore. Leaving the boardwalk, the track climbed through forest and past a small waterfall. The three teenagers approached the victims as they walked along the alleyway past the town's bowling club. We wandered upstairs and downstairs, through the garden, past the vegetable plot and back to a bus stop. To get there, you must go past the Capitainerie and through the working bit of the boatyard. The conduit may have been the one running along Damgate past the north end of Baxter Row. The midfielder struck a low drive with the outside of his boot, past the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and off the post. The large bathroom lies further along the hall, past a sizable storage cupboard. The sun was just reaching its peak when the horse and rider rode past the town's gates. I walked several miles south along the beach past Venice and just spent some time relaxing and breathing in the sea air. From that classroom, you turned down a side corridor, past the changing rooms and into the sports hall. The ride will take them along the coast of Port Philip Bay and past seaside villages along the Morning Peninsula. She managed to break free and ran back past the station, through the town centre to Parkway. A stroll through the gardens, past the pools and down a short flight of steps brought me to a great sweep of dark golden beach. Explore the Lowther Hills or wander along lower-level paths, past the old lead mine workings. Five minutes later Owen beat Dixon to a long through ball and side footed the ball past Seaman for a late, late winner. A few miles along the river, continue past the ruins of a twelfth century abbey, and over an old stone bridge. There is no time to get Tom, so he follows the men through the town and past the quarry. Synonyms into and out of, to the far side of, to the other side of, from one side of … to the other, from end to end of, between, past, by, down, along, across, by way of, via 1.1 In front of or from one side to the other of. he began to drive slowly past the houses Example sentencesExamples The police car sped straight through and past them without stopping, without even slowing. I got my boyfriend to come and see and we saw them move fast past the front of our house and out of sight. I used to walk past it every day, down a long, winding, black path to school in the morning. He was worried that due to a hangover I might not make my plane so he and his wife decided to drive past my house just to check. I knew it to be Tom, and was not pleased to think that soon he would ride past me, teasing and making jests. Since Christmas however, she had changed her route because she couldn't face walking past it every day. As I drove past it yesterday I allowed my imagination to range over possible meanings. He can look back happily on all that: he owns the huge mansion he rode past on his bicycle while on his way to work in a factory. He was riding past us now, so I looked up to see better what he looked like. Huge crowds are expected to file past the coffin, which will be guarded by a contingent of Gentlemen at Arms and Yeoman of the Guard. Twice a day I drive past it, on the way to work and on the way home. He rides past a big white church on the left of him and passes some condos to his right. A wheelchair can be a terrific advantage in life: you zoom past queues and everyone's very nice to you. Jamie felt the cold wind blow past him as he rode through the hills faster than he ever had in his life. The truck lurched through the streets, past buildings burning unabated and MPs in gun turrets. Indeed, for a year or two in the early 1990s I must have taken the 53 bus past it twice a day. Clem is sitting in the corner and I have to negotiate my way past several people to reach him. I've walked past it loads of times and from the outside always thought it was just a dowdy 70s office block. I rode past many miles of homes and finally reached the bit of road that was more used. They tiptoed along the wooden corridor past the closed door of the baby's room. Synonyms in front of, by, beyond 2Beyond in time; later than. by this time it was past 3.30 my watch said twenty past twelve Example sentencesExamples It was a fabulous gig, and the fans were so revved up by the event that we all must have stayed up well past 11.35 pm. At half past midnight in the bar of the Bull Bay Hotel I meet Pat, an old diving instructor. I arranged to meet Stephen at half past two. At half past midday, during lunch, Pétain announces the cessation of hostilities. It was six days after Mandy disappeared that the Barclays' doorbell rang at half past midnight. The quiz only takes seconds, but the reading of the in-depth results may take you past your coffee break limit. He kept us up until well past 4am with hilarious stories of an actor's life. I got back from Lucca at half past midnight this morning, and spent about two minutes sorting the paper post. About half past midnight, the side-car stopped on a bridge above the Seine. We have had just 30 minutes of debate: we started at 20 to 5 and finished at 10 past 5. I intend to continue practicing law past my 65th birthday, for as long as the firm will tolerate me. The family has been told Kerry is unlikely to live past his early teens. Sober, sensible readers who get to bed by half past ten may have no fun, but they may be less likely to get heart disease than the rest of us. Synonyms beyond, beyond the limits of, in excess of 3No longer capable of. he is past giving the best advice Example sentencesExamples Perhaps foolishly I thought I was past getting excited by press releases. It is impossible to capture the magic of Galway and most folk are well past analysing it all. They were past being polite. 3.1 Beyond the limits or scope of. I was long past caring and immediately fell asleep on the bed Example sentencesExamples To have some other arena past college to strive for is a great prospect for our kids. How did so much bad writing get past the early script development phase, let alone into a final cut? Indeed, institutions such as universities are now bureaucratized past belief. Invariably, they are sent at night by someone well past the legal limit for safe driving. It will be a dream come true for all those who can't think past flowers to score with their girlfriends. This year, she has taken her earnings past $6 million. The garden is looking past its best and I'll soon have to go and put it to bed for the winter. The blog is still up, but for reasons I no longer recall, I never got past four entries, and then gave up on the thing. Umberto says that to get past your physical limits you must dive with your head. You have to be able to extend yourself past your limits and work in new ways for the individual. If you can get past half the vocalists, there is some level of interest to be found. When you get past the early stages you will both work out what gets to each of you. Once you get past that, young teenagers are capable of being as sophisticated as adults, but they are not seen to count. adverb pɑːstpæst 1So as to pass from one side of something to the other. a flotilla of glossy limousines swept past Example sentencesExamples All day I have been watching the marchers file past, a few with flags, more with placards, all in a holiday mood. We watched as they came past, and then took the shortcut home, up through the sheep field to the Abbey. As the air rushes past it collects small quantities of the solution which are then deposited onto the skin. As Chris looked out his window, he saw a small bunny rabbit hop past through the yard. As we rode past, a kitten stumbled out of the tall grass into the road. You can take your potato to a bench or a wall and watch people walk past. The defendant was cycling behind her and she stepped to one side to let him past. She said that from her living room she caught a glimpse of the car going past and then heard the bang. As he spoke, a car whistled past with a loudspeaker reminding people it was polling day. I knew his timing, so one day I hid in the bushes at the hotel gate and photographed him as he rode past. He was much quicker but could not get past and unfortunately, the time deficit by the time of his first stop was too big to handle. Maria had just turned the corner when she spotted Val riding past. I watch the birds flying past in the sky, I listen to the sound of the oceans coming from the open windows. Erin McGrath witnessed the aftermath of the crash when she walked past half an hour later. I then had to lie there, for five minutes, as boys on bikes rode past and laughed at me. We've laughed at a bloke riding past on a bike and almost falling off as he tried to see through our window. Stopping at a red light, I idly watched a couple walking past, deep in an argument. Lone office workers bit into their lunches and watched people walk past, just as I was. I joined the queue about 15 cars behind him, so it took a good twenty minutes to get past. Becki pressed her face against the glass window and watched the world go past. Synonyms along, by, on 2Used to indicate the lapse of time. a week went past and nothing changed Example sentencesExamples Be careful though, you might get into a story-telling session and find the whole day has sped past. Many folks lack the courage to do so, even when the time to wait before acting is long past. We can recollect or retrospect the nature or character of a mental event just past. The next half hour went past amazingly fast. Another hour will go past before they have a result. Phrases not put it past someone Believe someone to be capable of doing a particular wrong or rash thing. I wouldn't put it past him to slip something into the drinks Example sentencesExamples I certainly didn't put it past her to force herself upon me in the cabin. I didn't put it past Nathaniel to make her a tool in his vendetta against Thomas. But if a playoff team loses a player or decides it's a rebounder short of being a contender, don't put it past Rodman to make yet another return to his pogo-stick-like career. He hasn't disappointed himself or me yet, so I don't put it past him to make something happen within a year. Just kidding about that last one-but don't put it past them! Unless Labour announces a tax-break for publishers in the next Budget (and don't put it past them) this whole row should die down quickly. And I don't put it past Bremer and his crew to seriously botch this whole thing. Amanda was horrified and didn't put it past Emma to do such a thing. She had been pulling stuff like that since he'd left her, and he didn't put it past her to poison Rose against him. past it informal Too old to be of any use or any good at anything. he was taken into his father-in-law's firm and became a partner when the old man got past it Example sentencesExamples Many argue that Zabel might now well be past it and the time has come to allow the younger generation to move their way through the ranks. In his considered opinion Mr Dylan is past it and there is no way he could be associated with him. As always these days, Clint's character, a down-at-heel boxing trainer, is old and past it. He reportedly told Shearer that he was past it and his legs had gone. Make a mistake late in your career, and the chances are you will be described as past it. There is an idea that every player who shared in the '98 glory should be there this time, whether he is past it or not. Brace yourselves for an apology: last week, we accused Bon Jovi of being past it. These people were mostly pensioners, belonging to the age group written off as past it by most employers. That's anyone under the age of 25 who decrees celebs, gushy reader advice and horoscopes to be past it. Hierro is also coming back from injury and the word is that he is too old and past it. Synonyms past one's prime, not as young as one was, not as young as one used to be Derivatives pastness noun She also says that the accompanying photographs provide ‘an exquisite index of the pastness of the past.’ Example sentencesExamples It calls up the seeming paradox of writing a history, an account of pastness, of things that are of the relative present. Yet pastness and futurity, he argued, are inherently contradictory; so nothing in reality can correspond to them. There is a patina of pastness and folkloric authenticity that pervades the marketplace. Past actions and characters are determinate because of their very pastness. Origin Middle English: variant of passed, past participle of pass¹. Rhymes aghast, avast, Belfast, blast, cast, caste, contrast, fast, last, mast, miscast, outlast, unsurpassed, vast adj.1 phr. Definition of past in US English: past adjectivepastpæst 1Gone by in time and no longer existing. the danger is now past Example sentencesExamples Each sketch is an individual work of art and represents a historically accurate reflection of a time past. The Conservative Party came round to him, and by October the worst of the dangers of that year were past. What happened in Athens is now past. But some argue the worst may be past. Above all the book recalls some of the village's characters from days long past. Several of his long-time customers commented that his produce tasted better than in years past, and was keeping for longer. He is a reminder of the site's history, a unique tie to stories and advice from times past. Surely the age of bigotry is past. The days are long past when we sent children up chimneys to sweep them. Synonyms gone by, over, over and done with, no more, gone, done, dead and buried, finished, ended, forgotten, bygone, former, old, of old, earlier, long-ago, ancient, defunct, extinct 1.1attributive Belonging to a former time. they made a study of the reasons why past attempts had failed he is a past chairman of the society Example sentencesExamples In their past nine matches they have lost seven times, and have scored just 15 times in the league all season. In today's Dubrovnik, you can just make out the joins where new stone has been melded with old, like the scars of a past life. Maple Leaf Gardens has been our town square and remains a repository of our dreams and past glories. When I left I felt ashamed that even as a seasoned traveller I had avoided this area for fear of the past conflict. Club captain Johnson and past captain Jacobs completed six rounds of golf in a day to raise money for charity. Makinen is also a past winner, all of which will make the most arduous rally in the WRC a hot contest. However they have not made any correlation between the current problem and the past accident. Each is accused of a past crime that they have not yet been prosecuted for. Mr Wilson said past experiences had shown voting was often done in the initial days of polls opening. On the other hand, it is also prudent for the majority of us to learn from our past mistakes and experiences. The newly adopted Lords' amendment on smacking will inspire many parents to examine their past conduct. Forget the past performance, you now need to focus on the future and find such investments. The other obvious challenger is Joseba Beloki, a podium finisher in the past three Tours. The union's offer to assist the government is completely in line with its past practices. He is a past pupil of Gortnor Abbey Convent and Anthony is now studying at GMIT Galway. On past experience with your Journal I don't expect this pro-blood sports letter to be printed. However, in light of past practices, it is doubtful whether they will live up to those pledges. It is time to forget past differences and work together for the larger interest of the nation. Any artist who has had their past work stamped with classic status must surely find themselves in a bind. Mrs Taylor-Silk said the break would give the family a chance to forget about past worries and look to the future. But she would not have to reimburse the Government for any past benefits to which she had been entitled. Synonyms previous, former, prior, foregoing, late, erstwhile, as was, one-time, sometime, ex- 1.2attributive (of a specified period of time) occurring before and leading up to the time of speaking or writing. the band has changed over the past twelve months Example sentencesExamples For the past two weeks, the Western world has seen something remarkable occur in Ukraine. Word around Wellington in the past three weeks is that Clark's staff have been panicking. Listen to what the vice president had to say about the Texas governor this past week. Sully had skipped too much school the past week and a bit to go completely unnoticed. The school has been through a period of ups and downs over the past year. Michelle has been doing a lot of writing over the past year and has just signed a record deal with Mercury Records. He has spent the past decade, and the past week, attempting to do just that. Last year we were in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and some of those other places that have been in the news this past week. In the past two Sundays I've seen two of the best club league games I've ever enjoyed. The price of a gallon of gas jumped to record highs this past week here in the United States. The film Spark, which has been shot in Keighley over the past four weeks, is expected to go on general release next year. Over the past week, break-ins have taken place at Kill and also in our local church at Saleen. Millions of pounds have been spent in an attempt to revive the town in the past five years and a new high school has been created. With just six hours opening yesterday, a spokesman for the store said it was probably one of the quieter days of the past month. This past weekend saw the season home opener on Saturday night against the Rams. We only went out for two months over this past summer and it was really hard on her when we broke up. The planting has been taking place over the past two weeks, with primary school children invited to help with the work. There is a long-established genre of writing about boys' public schools in the past century. The government has spent more than eight trillion yen in failed attempts to bail the banks out over the past four years. In all the grim news of the past couple of weeks the Special Olympics stood out as an example of the good that is in the world. Synonyms last, recent, preceding, latter 1.3Grammar (of a tense) expressing an action that has happened or a state that previously existed. Example sentencesExamples Pashto has a rich agreement mechanism, but one that is manifested differently in the present and past tenses. It's no secret that this was the case, but these comments were all made in the past tense. British imperialism is habitually referred to in the past tense, as if it had gone the way of the empire. We often use the past tense in English to describe an imagined present or future. This is a bond of trust that football writers speak of only in the past tense. nounpastpæst 1usually the pastThe time or a period of time before the moment of speaking or writing. she found it hard to make ends meet in the past the war-damaged church is preserved as a reminder of the past Example sentencesExamples As irritating as romanticising the past might be to outsiders, those bound up in it must start to consider its effects. Gradually, though, she has begun to look at other painters of the past. We have been met in the past with surly and indifferent service at many retail outlets. Co-op stores in West Yorkshire have frequently been attacked in the past. His history classes emphasized the importance of telling stories as a way of making sense of the past. Budding archaeologists from across the county gathered in Swindon to learn about treasures from the past. In the past it has been dirty tricks - accidental, of course - which caused concern. Despite a rocket lending a futuristic flavour to the panto, the traditional family show also harks back to the past. This may be the future of policing, but it's the policing of the past. Deep cleaning is now required, whereas in the past street cleaners were able to keep gutters and footpaths clean. He offers a change from the discredited old politicians of the past. Barney is more sympathetic to the suggestion that the past counts against us. But by the standards of the past it had been a deplorable period in local eyes. For each of the men their existence has been brought back to these moments of the past. Tennis buffs would remember them as the greatest women players from the past. For Heavey, the performance served as a reminder of the consistency he has shown in the past. They are expressing the national agenda of their new country by documenting important moments in the past. It seems as if every new soul singer is instantly compared to one or more of the legends of the past. When I've had a drink in the past it's been to enhance the way I was feeling. But something rather unexpected happened as I gazed at these images of the past. Synonyms formerly, previously, in days gone by, in times gone by, in years gone by, in bygone days, back in the day, in former times, in the old days, in the good old days, at one time, in days of old, in the olden days, in olden times 1.1 The history of a person, country, or institution. the monuments act as guidelines through the country's colorful past Example sentencesExamples Some people fear their partners' pasts, viewing them as a threat to their own relationship. We never really talked about our pasts, only our futures. Detectives are interested in the past of their elderly odd-job man Romka. When they die, some things will be said that haven't been said before because they are controversial figures with colourful pasts. Guys don't talk to each other about our feelings, and that was especially true when you lived in a foster home with six other people with pasts you knew virtually nothing about. The historic broadcast presents a fascinating glimpse into the past of the country and of television itself. Every night after dinner my parents would sit and talk about this uncle or that aunt, talking about their individual and collective pasts. The Malabar region, like any other region in Kerala, has a very rich historic past. Significant events from the town's past will also be acted out by Canon Slade School students. You have people with checkered pasts and lots of problems. They talked about their pasts, their goals, and their futures. As the characters drift toward a common fate, we see their pasts in luscious detail. The hotel has a colourful past. While there are still reminders of the colonial past, Sydney is a city, in human terms, in the teenage years. The story is beefed up with a colourful scale of playable characters who gradually join your team and unfold facets of their distinct personalities and pasts. Two cities recently paid homage to their pasts and their futures by dedicating groves of life-giving trees with historic connections. Given Cox's past, it is hardly surprising he acquired such coping mechanisms. And it is not just the miners that use their banners as reminders of their heroic past. We uncovered a controversial policy which allows people with serious criminal pasts to be considered for a licence if they have been ‘clean’ for as little as three years. Public archives are a tremendously rich resource of evidence about our collective past. Synonyms history, background, life story, life, experience, career to date, biography 1.2informal A part of a person's history that is considered to be shameful. the heroine was a lady with a past Example sentencesExamples He's also desperate to unearth Lady Dedlock's secret past and is intent on making her life hell. The once-revered footballer is no different from any other alcoholic with a past. Alethea, a poet with a past, watches and notes, despite encroaching blindness. It's a basic film noir set-up: a guy with a past and a blonde with a problem, and a supporting cast of lost souls. 2Grammar A past tense or form of a verb. a simple past of the first conjugation Example sentencesExamples It takes time and effort to master the vowel and consonantal changes associated with the past of irregular verbs. These percentages of the simple verb form in the past were much lower than those for the simple present. In their recounting of experience encourage them to use the past continuous and the simple past. prepositionpastpæst 1To or on the further side of. he rode on past the crossroads Example sentencesExamples It was once a water tank on stilts, fed by the windmill across the mud track that runs just past it. There is no time to get Tom, so he follows the men through the town and past the quarry. From that classroom, you turned down a side corridor, past the changing rooms and into the sports hall. The sun was just reaching its peak when the horse and rider rode past the town's gates. Leaving the boardwalk, the track climbed through forest and past a small waterfall. What might surprise you, given that you can't even see it from the busy A176 which runs past it, is the lake. The large bathroom lies further along the hall, past a sizable storage cupboard. A stroll through the gardens, past the pools and down a short flight of steps brought me to a great sweep of dark golden beach. Five minutes later Owen beat Dixon to a long through ball and side footed the ball past Seaman for a late, late winner. To get there, you must go past the Capitainerie and through the working bit of the boatyard. She managed to break free and ran back past the station, through the town centre to Parkway. I walked several miles south along the beach past Venice and just spent some time relaxing and breathing in the sea air. The conduit may have been the one running along Damgate past the north end of Baxter Row. The ride will take them along the coast of Port Philip Bay and past seaside villages along the Morning Peninsula. We wandered upstairs and downstairs, through the garden, past the vegetable plot and back to a bus stop. A few miles along the river, continue past the ruins of a twelfth century abbey, and over an old stone bridge. Explore the Lowther Hills or wander along lower-level paths, past the old lead mine workings. The three teenagers approached the victims as they walked along the alleyway past the town's bowling club. The midfielder struck a low drive with the outside of his boot, past the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and off the post. Cross the river by the footbridge and continue through Glen Buckie past the farm buildings of Ballimore. Synonyms into and out of, to the far side of, to the other side of, from one side of … to the other, from end to end of, between, past, by, down, along, across, by way of, via 1.1 In front of or from one side to the other of. he began to drive slowly past the houses Example sentencesExamples I knew it to be Tom, and was not pleased to think that soon he would ride past me, teasing and making jests. He can look back happily on all that: he owns the huge mansion he rode past on his bicycle while on his way to work in a factory. The truck lurched through the streets, past buildings burning unabated and MPs in gun turrets. Clem is sitting in the corner and I have to negotiate my way past several people to reach him. He was worried that due to a hangover I might not make my plane so he and his wife decided to drive past my house just to check. Since Christmas however, she had changed her route because she couldn't face walking past it every day. Twice a day I drive past it, on the way to work and on the way home. As I drove past it yesterday I allowed my imagination to range over possible meanings. I got my boyfriend to come and see and we saw them move fast past the front of our house and out of sight. They tiptoed along the wooden corridor past the closed door of the baby's room. He rides past a big white church on the left of him and passes some condos to his right. The police car sped straight through and past them without stopping, without even slowing. A wheelchair can be a terrific advantage in life: you zoom past queues and everyone's very nice to you. I used to walk past it every day, down a long, winding, black path to school in the morning. I've walked past it loads of times and from the outside always thought it was just a dowdy 70s office block. Jamie felt the cold wind blow past him as he rode through the hills faster than he ever had in his life. Huge crowds are expected to file past the coffin, which will be guarded by a contingent of Gentlemen at Arms and Yeoman of the Guard. He was riding past us now, so I looked up to see better what he looked like. Indeed, for a year or two in the early 1990s I must have taken the 53 bus past it twice a day. I rode past many miles of homes and finally reached the bit of road that was more used. Synonyms in front of, by, beyond 1.2 Beyond in time; later than. by this time it was past 3:30 Example sentencesExamples At half past midnight in the bar of the Bull Bay Hotel I meet Pat, an old diving instructor. We have had just 30 minutes of debate: we started at 20 to 5 and finished at 10 past 5. Sober, sensible readers who get to bed by half past ten may have no fun, but they may be less likely to get heart disease than the rest of us. He kept us up until well past 4am with hilarious stories of an actor's life. I arranged to meet Stephen at half past two. It was six days after Mandy disappeared that the Barclays' doorbell rang at half past midnight. At half past midday, during lunch, Pétain announces the cessation of hostilities. The family has been told Kerry is unlikely to live past his early teens. I intend to continue practicing law past my 65th birthday, for as long as the firm will tolerate me. About half past midnight, the side-car stopped on a bridge above the Seine. I got back from Lucca at half past midnight this morning, and spent about two minutes sorting the paper post. The quiz only takes seconds, but the reading of the in-depth results may take you past your coffee break limit. It was a fabulous gig, and the fans were so revved up by the event that we all must have stayed up well past 11.35 pm. Synonyms beyond, beyond the limits of, in excess of 1.3 No longer capable of. he is past giving the best advice Example sentencesExamples It is impossible to capture the magic of Galway and most folk are well past analysing it all. Perhaps foolishly I thought I was past getting excited by press releases. They were past being polite. 1.4 Beyond the scope of. my hair was past praying for Example sentencesExamples Invariably, they are sent at night by someone well past the legal limit for safe driving. The blog is still up, but for reasons I no longer recall, I never got past four entries, and then gave up on the thing. Umberto says that to get past your physical limits you must dive with your head. How did so much bad writing get past the early script development phase, let alone into a final cut? When you get past the early stages you will both work out what gets to each of you. The garden is looking past its best and I'll soon have to go and put it to bed for the winter. You have to be able to extend yourself past your limits and work in new ways for the individual. To have some other arena past college to strive for is a great prospect for our kids. This year, she has taken her earnings past $6 million. If you can get past half the vocalists, there is some level of interest to be found. It will be a dream come true for all those who can't think past flowers to score with their girlfriends. Once you get past that, young teenagers are capable of being as sophisticated as adults, but they are not seen to count. Indeed, institutions such as universities are now bureaucratized past belief. adverbpastpæst 1So as to pass from one side of something to the other. large angelfish swim slowly past Example sentencesExamples As the air rushes past it collects small quantities of the solution which are then deposited onto the skin. All day I have been watching the marchers file past, a few with flags, more with placards, all in a holiday mood. He was much quicker but could not get past and unfortunately, the time deficit by the time of his first stop was too big to handle. As we rode past, a kitten stumbled out of the tall grass into the road. Becki pressed her face against the glass window and watched the world go past. I joined the queue about 15 cars behind him, so it took a good twenty minutes to get past. Stopping at a red light, I idly watched a couple walking past, deep in an argument. Erin McGrath witnessed the aftermath of the crash when she walked past half an hour later. I watch the birds flying past in the sky, I listen to the sound of the oceans coming from the open windows. I knew his timing, so one day I hid in the bushes at the hotel gate and photographed him as he rode past. Maria had just turned the corner when she spotted Val riding past. As Chris looked out his window, he saw a small bunny rabbit hop past through the yard. Lone office workers bit into their lunches and watched people walk past, just as I was. The defendant was cycling behind her and she stepped to one side to let him past. I then had to lie there, for five minutes, as boys on bikes rode past and laughed at me. She said that from her living room she caught a glimpse of the car going past and then heard the bang. As he spoke, a car whistled past with a loudspeaker reminding people it was polling day. We watched as they came past, and then took the shortcut home, up through the sheep field to the Abbey. We've laughed at a bloke riding past on a bike and almost falling off as he tried to see through our window. You can take your potato to a bench or a wall and watch people walk past. Synonyms along, by, on 1.1 Used to indicate the lapse of time. a week went past and nothing changed Example sentencesExamples The next half hour went past amazingly fast. Another hour will go past before they have a result. Many folks lack the courage to do so, even when the time to wait before acting is long past. Be careful though, you might get into a story-telling session and find the whole day has sped past. We can recollect or retrospect the nature or character of a mental event just past. 2Used to indicate the lapse of time. a week went past and nothing changed Phrases not put it past someone Believe someone to be capable of doing something wrong or rash. I wouldn't put it past him to slip something into the drinks Example sentencesExamples And I don't put it past Bremer and his crew to seriously botch this whole thing. She had been pulling stuff like that since he'd left her, and he didn't put it past her to poison Rose against him. Unless Labour announces a tax-break for publishers in the next Budget (and don't put it past them) this whole row should die down quickly. Just kidding about that last one-but don't put it past them! But if a playoff team loses a player or decides it's a rebounder short of being a contender, don't put it past Rodman to make yet another return to his pogo-stick-like career. Amanda was horrified and didn't put it past Emma to do such a thing. He hasn't disappointed himself or me yet, so I don't put it past him to make something happen within a year. I certainly didn't put it past her to force herself upon me in the cabin. I didn't put it past Nathaniel to make her a tool in his vendetta against Thomas. Origin Middle English: variant of passed, past participle of pass. adj.1 phr.
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