Meaning & use
has passed away
Last updated
“has passed away” is a form of “pass away”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseeuphemistic
has died, used when speaking politely or gently about someone's death
Grammar: This is the present perfect form of the phrasal verb pass away. Use it with he, she, it, or a singular noun; for plural subjects use have passed away.
Patterns
- someone has passed away
- has passed away peacefully
- has sadly passed away
I'm sorry to hear that your grandfather has passed away.
The former president has passed away at the age of 92.
Our neighbor has passed away after a long illness.
Word forms
| base form | pass away |
|---|---|
| third person singular | passes away |
| past tense | passed away |
| past participle | passed away |
| -ing form | passing away |
Common combinations
- has passed away peacefully
- She has passed away peacefully in her sleep.
- has sadly passed away
- The actor has sadly passed away after a short illness.
- has passed away at the age of
- The composer has passed away at the age of 88.
- has just passed away
- I need to tell you that your uncle has just passed away.
Synonyms and how they differ
- has died
- This is the direct, neutral way to say it; has passed away is softer and more polite.
- has passed on
- This is a slightly more informal euphemism, common in British English.
- has lost their life
- This is used mainly in news reports about accidents or disasters, not for natural deaths.
Word family
Commonly confused: has passed away or passed?
has passed away vs passed
Learners sometimes confuse passed with past. Passed is the past tense of pass; past can be a noun, adjective, or preposition. In this phrase, passed is the verb.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'has passed away' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The present perfect 'has passed away' is used for a recent event with a present result, so it fits 'so I'm very sad.' It does not go with a specific past time like 'last year' or 'yesterday'; those require the simple past 'passed away.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “has passed away”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.