pass out — to become unconscious
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to suddenly become unconscious for a short time, often because of heat, pain, or shock.
Say it like a native
Textbook He lost consciousness due to the extreme heat.
Native He passed out in the heat.
'Lost consciousness' is medical/report English; 'pass out' is the everyday spoken verb.
Pattern: pass out (no object)
In use
- It was so hot in the room that I thought I was going to pass out.health
- During my first blood test, I was so nervous that I nearly passed out in the clinic.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He passed out of the heat.
✓ He passed out in the heat.
'Pass out' = faint — don't add 'of'.
Common collocations
pass out— pass out, passed out, nearly passed out, from the heat
Don't confuse it
Do not confuse with 'pass out' meaning 'to distribute' (mainly British English), which is a different sense.