past

/pæst/
adjective
  1. Gone by in time; belonging to a former time.
    • Past events can teach us important lessons for the future.
    • She thought about her past mistakes and learned from them.
    • The past week has been very busy for everyone.
  2. Having served a previous term or role; former.
    • He is a past champion of the tournament.
    • Our past teacher still visits the school sometimes.
    • The past president gave a speech at the ceremony.
noun
  1. The time before the present; events that have already happened.
    • He often talks about his past with great nostalgia.
    • We cannot change the past, but we can shape the future.
    • The museum displays artifacts from the distant past.
  2. A person's history or background, especially one that is secret or not known to others.
    • The detective investigated the suspect's past.
    • Everyone deserves a chance to leave their past behind.
    • She has a mysterious past that no one knows about.
Synonyms
preposition
  1. Beyond in position; farther than.
    • The library is just past the post office.
    • He walked past the store without going inside.
    • The car drove past the school very slowly.
  2. Beyond in time; after a certain point.
    • It is already past midnight, so we should go to bed.
    • The deadline is past, so we cannot submit the form now.
    • She stayed up past her usual bedtime to finish the book.
  3. Beyond the limits or capability of.
    • The problem is past my understanding.
    • That old car is past repair.
    • He is past the age of needing a babysitter.
adverb
  1. So as to pass by or go beyond.
    • A bird flew past the window.
    • The bus drove past without stopping.
    • The children ran past as we stood on the sidewalk.
What does "past" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean