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tick by

B1 neutral inseparable intransitive

In simple words

Time keeps passing, often when you're waiting for something.

Literal meaning: For a clock to make tick sounds as each second passes — largely transparent.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

common

For time to pass steadily, often while someone waits or observes.

"The hours ticked by and still there was no news from the hospital."

Grammar: inseparable

Usage notes

Very similar to 'tick away' but slightly more neutral. Used to describe the passage of time, often from the perspective of someone waiting or watching. Common in literary and journalistic writing. The subject is almost always a unit of time.

Commonly used with

seconds minutes hours days time clock

Forms

Base

tick by

I/you/we/they

3rd person

ticks by

he/she/it

Past simple

ticked by

yesterday

Past participle

ticked by

have + pp

-ing form

ticking by

continuous

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Synonyms

pass go by elapse tick away roll by creep by

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