make a pass

make a pass (third-person singular simple present makes a pass, present participle making a pass, simple past and past participle made a pass) [+ at (object)]

1. To unambiguously indicate interest in sexual activity to someone the speaker has not previously been sexually involved with.

   He clumsily made a pass at the prom queen, and she responded with a scowl.

   • 1926, Dorothy Parker, “News Item”, in Enough Rope, page 85:

     Men seldom make passes / At girls who wear glasses.

   • 1985, Joel Schumacher, Carl Kurlander, St. Elmo's Fire (motion picture), spoken by Julianna "Jules" Van Patten (Demi Moore):

     You know, all those nights we stayed up talking…How come you never made a pass at me?

The term is most frequently used for unwanted sexual advances.

• flirt
• hit on
• proposition

• make the passes