Passing has 16 different meanings across 3 categories:
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
"the coach sent in a passing play on third and long"
going by something that is moving in order to get in front of it
"she drove but well but her reckless passing of every car on the road frightened me"
success in satisfying a test or requirement
"his future depended on his passing that test"
"he got a pass in introductory chemistry"
Death, dying; the end of something.
"The sudden passing of their beloved dog left the entire family in mourning."
In plain English: Passing is when you successfully go through a test or exam with a good grade.
"The passing of time seemed to slow down during the long movie."
Usage: As a noun, passing refers to the moment of death or the conclusion of an event. Use it when acknowledging that someone has died or that a temporary situation has come to an end.
present participle of pass
"The car was just passing us on the highway when we noticed the accident ahead."
In plain English: To pass means to go by or move past someone or something while continuing on your way.
Usage: Use "passing" to describe something that is currently moving by or occurring at this moment, such as a car passing on the road or a temporary event like a passing storm. Avoid using it to mean deceased unless you are specifically referring to someone who has recently died and passed away.
lasting a very short time
"the ephemeral joys of childhood"
"a passing fancy"
"youth's transient beauty"
"love is transitory but it is eternal"
"fugacious blossoms"
hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
"a casual (or cursory) inspection failed to reveal the house's structural flaws"
"a passing glance"
"perfunctory courtesy"
"In his paper, he showed a very superficial understanding of psychoanalytic theory"
That passes away; ephemeral.
"The fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms reminds us that their passing is as inevitable as it is brief."
In plain English: Passing describes something that is good enough to meet a required standard or level.
"The passing grade ensures you will move on to the next level of school."
Usage: Use "passing" as an adjective to describe something that is temporary or fleeting, such as passing trends or a passing cloud. It emphasizes that the subject exists only briefly before disappearing or ending.
to an extraordinary degree
"she was a surpassingly beautiful woman"
"I will mention only one particular aspect of the current mess because ... this one is surely something new and passing strange"
Surpassingly, greatly.
"The passing beauty of the sunset left everyone speechless."
In plain English: To pass something means to move by it without stopping or touching it.
"The car was moving at a passing speed down the empty road."
Usage: Use "passing" as an adverb to describe something that is surprisingly good or acceptable, such as in "a passing grade." It indicates a level of quality that just barely meets the standard rather than exceeding it significantly.
The word passing is formed by adding the suffix -ing to the verb pass. It entered English as a standard way of describing the action or state of moving from one place to another.