in passing

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pass•ing /ˈpæsɪŋ/   adj. [before a noun]

1. going past, as in time;
   elapsing:
   Each passing day her love grew stronger.
2. brief;
   not lasting long:
   a passing fancy.
3. superficial;
   not detailed:
   He made only passing mention of her work.
4. indicating satisfactory performance, as in a test:
   a passing grade of 45 out of 50.

n. [uncountable]

5. the act of a person or thing that passes or causes to pass:
   the passing of time.
6. death:
   Her passing will not go unnoticed or be forgotten.

Idioms

7. Idioms in passing, by the way;
   incidentally:
   Let me mention, in passing, the marvelous help I received from the police.

pass•ing•ly, adv. See -pass-¹.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pass•ing  (pas′ing, pä′sing), adj. 

1. going by or past;
   elapsing:
   He was feeling better with each passing day.
2. brief, fleeting, or fortuitous;
   transitory:
   to take a passing fancy to something.
3. done, given, etc., in passing;
   cursory:
   a passing mention.
4. surpassing, preeminent, or extreme.
5. indicating satisfactory performance in a course, on a paper, in a test, etc.:
   a passing grade on a test.

adv. 

6. surpassingly;
   exceedingly;
   very.

n. 

7. the act of a person or thing that passes or causes something to pass.
8. a means or place of passage.
9. in passing, by the way;
   incidentally:
   The speaker mentioned his latest book in passing.

• 1275–1325; Middle English; see pass, -ing², -ing¹

pass′ing•ly, adv. 
pass′ing•ness, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

passing / ˈpɑːsɪŋ/ adjective

1. transitory or momentary: a passing fancy
2. cursory or casual in action or manner: a passing reference

adverb , adjective

1. to an extreme degree: the events were passing strange

noun

1. a place where or means by which one may pass, cross, ford, etc
2. a euphemism for death
3. in passing ⇒ by the way; incidentally: he mentioned your visit in passing