pass away
A2 neutral inseparable intransitive
In simple words
To die — used to be kind and not use the word 'die' directly.
Literal meaning: To move away and disappear — suggesting the soul departing from the body.
Meanings
1 A2
idiomatic
neutral
To die (used as a polite or gentle euphemism).
"Her grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep last night."
""My father passed away last year, and I still miss him every day.""
— Michelle Obama, "Becoming" (2018)
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
A common euphemism used in formal announcements, obituaries, and sensitive conversations. Suitable across registers when speaking about someone's death. More polite and compassionate in tone than 'die'. Rarely used in academic or medical writing, where 'die' or 'death' is preferred for precision.
Commonly used with
peacefully suddenly overnight at the age of in hospital
Forms
Base
pass away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
passes away
he/she/it
Past simple
passed away
yesterday
Past participle
passed away
have + pp
-ing form
passing away
continuous
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