past — the time before the present; former times
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the time before the present; former times
Pronunciation (IPA): /pæst/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother always says 'the good old past' when she sees my messy room.
- I ran past the ice cream truck, but my diet ran past my willpower.
- It's already past 11 PM, time to study for the CSAT!
past
NOUN[/pæst/]
the time before the present; former times
Grandmother shares photos from her past with her granddaughter
The past moves fast, but memories last.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'past' derives from Middle English 'passed', the past participle of 'pass'. It evolved to express the state of time having 'gone by' or elapsed, gradually extending to denote any period or event that has already occurred.
Breakdown
pass (to go forward, move ahead) + -ed (past participle suffix), where the final 'd' was eventually absorbed into the stem, yielding 'past' as both adjective and noun.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother always says 'the good old past' when she sees my messy room.”
“I ran past the ice cream truck, but my diet ran past my willpower.”
“It's already past 11 PM, time to study for the CSAT!”
“Learning from past mistakes is wisdom, repeating them is comedy.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.