Meaning & use
passes out
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“passes out” is a form of “pass out”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Loses consciousness for a short time, usually because of illness, heat, or shock.
Grammar: No object; the person who faints is the subject: She passes out.
Patterns
- someone passes out
- passes out from something
- passes out in a place
He passes out every time he sees blood.
She passes out from the heat if she doesn't drink water.
The soldier passes out during the long march.
verbintransitiveBritishmilitary
Completes a course of military training and becomes an officer.
Grammar: No object; common in British English and often followed by 'from' plus the training place.
Patterns
- passes out from a place
- passes out as an officer
He passes out from Sandhurst in June.
She passes out as a second lieutenant next month.
Word forms
| base form | pass out |
|---|---|
| past tense | passed out |
| past participle | passed out |
| -ing form | passing out |
Common combinations
- pass out cold
- He passed out cold and had to be carried home.
- pass out from the heat
- Several runners passed out from the heat.
- pass out on the floor
- She passed out on the kitchen floor.
- almost pass out
- I almost passed out when I stood up too quickly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- faint
- More formal and often suggests a brief, gentle loss of consciousness rather than a sudden collapse.
- black out
- Focuses on losing consciousness and memory for a period, often because of drinking or a blow.
- collapse
- Can mean falling down for any reason, not only losing consciousness.
Opposites
Word family
- pass out phrasal verb
- The base form of this verb.
- passing out noun
- British: the ceremony at the end of military training.
Commonly confused: passes out or pass away? passes out or pass on?
passes out vs pass away
Means to die, a gentle and polite expression; it does not mean to faint.
passes out vs pass on
Can mean to die or to give something to someone else, not to lose consciousness.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'passes out' correctly to mean losing consciousness?
Choose one answer.
'Passes out' means loses consciousness, so 'He passes out from the heat' fits. 'Passes out' in option A means distributes, and options C and D use the wrong verb form with 'they' and 'I'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “passes out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.