next vs past

next

adv
  • So as to follow in time or sequence something previously mentioned. 

  • In a time, place, rank or sequence closest or following. 

  • On the first subsequent occasion. 

det
  • Closest in the future, or closest but one if the closest is very soon; of days, sometimes thought to specifically refer to the instance closest to seven days (one week) in the future. 

  • Denotes the one immediately following the current or most recent one. 

noun
  • The one that follows after this one. 

adj
  • Nearest in order, succession, or rank; immediately following (or sometimes preceding) in order. 

  • Nearest in place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining. 

  • Nearest in relationship. (See also next of kin.) 

past

adv
  • In a direction that passes. 

noun
  • The period of time that has already happened, in contrast to the present and the future. 

  • The past tense. 

prep
  • Beyond in place or quantity 

  • Any number of minutes after the last hour 

  • Having recovered or moved on from (a traumatic experience, etc.). 

  • No longer capable of. 

  • Passing by, especially without stopping or being delayed. 

adj
  • Of a period of time: having just gone by; previous. 

  • Having already happened; in the past; finished. 

  • Following expressions of time to indicate how long ago something happened; ago. 

  • Of a tense, expressing action that has already happened or a previously-existing state. 

How often have the words next and past occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )