Standard Lemma guide

elapse

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian, UK, US: /ɪˈlæps/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Texas: Austin Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æps
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 L AE1 P S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To pass or move by.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • He allowed a month to elapse before beginning the work.
  • Several days elapsed before they met again.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

pass by

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • three years elapsed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lapse, pass, slip by, glide by, slip away, go by, slide by, go along

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: advance, progress, pass on, move on, march on, go on

Narrower terms: fly, fell, vanish

History

Etymology

From Middle French elapser, from Latin elapsus.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَرَّ (marra) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Asturian: pasar — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Azerbaijani: keçmək — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Azerbaijani: ötmək — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Bulgarian: изти́чам (iztíčam) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Bulgarian: измина́вам — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Chinese Mandarin: 過去 /过去 (guòqù) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Chinese Mandarin: 過 /过 (guò) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Esperanto: pasi — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Finnish: kulua — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Finnish: vieriä — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Finnish: vierähtää — (of time) to pass or move by
  • French: se passer — (of time) to pass or move by
  • French: s'écouler — (of time) to pass or move by
  • German: vergehen — (of time) to pass or move by
  • German: verrinnen — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Ancient Greek: διαγίγνομαι (diagígnomai) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Italian: trascorrere — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Japanese: 過ぎる (sugiru) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Japanese: 経つ (tatsu) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Korean: 지나가다 (jinagada) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Polish: upływać — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Portuguese: passar — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Portuguese: transcorrer — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Russian: проходи́ть (proxodítʹ) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Russian: пройти́ (projtí) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Russian: истека́ть (istekátʹ) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Russian: исте́чь (istéčʹ) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Russian: минова́ть (minovátʹ) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Russian: ми́нуть (mínutʹ) — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Spanish: transcurrir — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Spanish: discurrir — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Swedish: förgå — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Swedish: passera — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Swedish: förlöpa — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Vietnamese: trôi qua — (of time) to pass or move by
  • Zazaki: ravêren — (of time) to pass or move by