pass out

phrasal verb·2 senses·particle out

Meanings

1

Distribute around a group

Distributionuncommon

Why “out”? Spreading outward from a centre to many recipients.

Pass out the worksheets, please.
Please distribute the worksheets to everyone in the group.
Pass out the cards to the class.
Distribute the cards to everyone in the class.
2

Lose consciousness

Exhaustionuncommon

Why “out”? Going outward until nothing remains. Supply is gone.

He passed out from the heat.
He fainted because of the heat.
Mia passed out in the queue.
Mia lost consciousness in the queue.

Don't confuse with

pass outpass down

Pass out means distribute around a group. Pass down means give something to a younger generation.

Test yourself

Pass out the worksheets, please. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

Practice “pass out” in Sink In

Drill this and 600+ phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by particle.