Meaning & use

pass out

verb·Everyday

To lose consciousness suddenly, usually from heat, shock, exhaustion, or lack of food.

See it in a sentence

She nearly passed out from the heat after standing in the sun for two hours.

He felt dizzy and thought he might pass out before the ambulance finally arrived.

A note on using this word

Pass out is an informal phrasal verb; faint is the more neutral, formal equivalent used in medical writing.

Words with a similar meaning

faintblack out

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To distribute something to a group of people.

The teacher asked a student to pass out the graded tests to the class.

Make it your own

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