Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

past

2 preposition, adverb
     
past2 S1 W2
1 later than a particular time:
It's ten past nine.
I should be finished by half past (=30 minutes after the hour).
It was past midnight when the party ended.
Come on Annie, it's long past your bedtime.
2 further than a particular place:
The hospital's just up this road, about a mile past the school.
There are parking spaces over there, just past (=a little further than) the garage.
3 up to and beyond a person or place, without stopping:
She waved as she drove past.
Will you be going past my house on your way home?
straight/right past (=used to emphasize that someone passes close to you and does not stop)
Monica hurried straight past me and down the steps.
4 if a period of time goes past, it passes:
Weeks went past without any news.
The hours seemed to fly past.
5 beyond or no longer at a particular point or stage:
The roses were already past their best.
Reid never really got past the stage of copying other artists.
a pot of yoghurt well past its sell-by date
an Italian singer who was then past her prime (=no longer strong and active)
I'm past caring about my appearance (=I do not care about it any more).
6

I wouldn't put it past somebody (to do something)

spoken used to say that you would not be surprised if someone did something bad or unusual because it is typical of them to do that type of thing:
I wouldn't put it past Colin to cheat.
7

past it

British English spoken too old to be able to do what you used to do, or too old to be useful:
People seem to think that just because I'm retired, I'm past it.
8

be past due

American English something that is past due has not been paid or done by the time it should have been
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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