passinglyadv.
/ˈpɑːsɪŋli/, /ˈpasɪŋli/, U.S. /ˈpæsɪŋli/ 1. In passing, cursorily. Formerly also: †for a moment, temporarily (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > duration > shortness or brevity in time > [adverb] > provisionally or temporarily
passingly1340
pro tempore1468
while1508
temporally1530
provisionally1597
interlocutorily1620
for the nonce1672
temporarilya1686
ad interim1701
probationally1707
pro tem1777
provisorily1802
to the nonce1802
temporaneously1818
transitionally1832
the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > faculty of ideation > topic, subject-matter > [adverb] > in passing
by the way?1520
in passing by1598
passant1602
passantly1602
in passage1605
in the bygoing1637
obviously1658
by the by?1710
passingly1836
in passing1849
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 172 (MED) Þe zeneȝere ssel guo in-to his house..naȝt pasindeliche; ase þe iogelour þet ne blefþ naȝt bleþeliche in his house.
a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add.) f. 169 In þe coppe of þis mounte oure lorde shewed him selfe blisful and chaungede his fygure passingliche to fore his disciples.
c1450 (a1400) Orologium Sapientiæ in Anglia (1888) 10 341 (MED) Þe mynde of mye passione schalle not be hadde passynglye & with hast.
a1500 (c1340) R. Rolle Psalter (Univ. Oxf. 64) (1884) xlviii. 1 That ȝe here not passandly, all that wonnys the warld.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 383 All these actes be but passyngly brought in.
1684 in R. Wodrow Hist. Sufferings Church of Scotl. (1722) II. iii. viii. 388 Not having been for several Years there, but passingly.
1836 Fraser's Mag. 14 633 They are passingly noticed in the last stanza.
1891 G. Meredith One of our Conquerors II. xii. 289 Victor commented passingly on the soundness of them.
1976 Gramophone Aug. 300/2 Those who come even passingly into this category can be assured of some high-spirited and idiomatic performances.
2003 Akron Beacon Jrnl. (Nexis) 6 Feb. g3 I'm only passingly familiar with most of those performers.
2. Surpassingly, pre-eminently; exceedingly, extremely. Now archaic.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > extremely or exceedingly > surpassingly
passinga1382
passinglya1382
excellentlyc1460
overpassingc1475
passantlya1500
surpassing1598
superpassing1608
surpassingly1658
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) 3 Esdras iii. 24 O men, wheþer wyn is not passyngli [v.r. passendeli] strong þat þus constreyneþ to don?
?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) 2537 (MED) Passandly sho loued cuthbert.
c1475 (a1400) J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 315 (MED) Þei ben passyngliche holy.
a1500 Craft of Dying (Rawl.) in C. Horstmann Yorkshire Writers (1896) II. 410 (MED) Þei þat bene in syknesse in her deth-bed suffren passyngly gret payne.
1569 J. Sanford tr. H. C. Agrippa Of Vanitie Artes & Sci. 50 b A certaine man..did so passingly depainte the likenesses of Images that [etc.].
1587 M. Grove Pelops & Hippodamia (1878) 56 She loues their wisdome passinglie.
1638 J. Ford Fancies iv. 51 You..were contented, Passinglie pleas'd.
1887 Harper's Mag. June 37 I, who thought myself so strong, am passingly weak.
1987 N. Spinrad Little Heroes 217 It was passingly strange hearing herself singing through Red Jack's hyper-real voice.
2001 Guardian (Nexis) 25 Aug. (Weekend Suppl.) 11 When you're dying, you begin to realise for the first time how miraculous and passingly beautiful life is.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.1340