Does "by" mean "after" in this sentence?

[eggcracker]

Does "by" mean "after" in the following sentence ?
"She was past caring about anything by then and just wanted the pain to end."

 

[billmcd]

"By" in your example = up to that time ("then" is not spcified").

 

[eggcracker]

"By" in your example = up to that time ("then" is not spcified").

Please check whether this sentence means same as original.

"She was past caring about anything up to that time and just wanted the pain to end."​

 

[billmcd]

Please check whether this sentence means same as original.

"She was past caring about anything up to that time and just wanted the pain to end."​

Yes, same meaning.

 

[Raymott]

Does "by" mean "after" in the following sentence ?
"She was past caring about anything by then and just wanted the pain to end."

Yes, it implies 'after'. It means "at that time, and usually for some unspecified time after."
She would have been becoming past caring before that time, but at that time, she was past caring. At that time, she had already reached the stage of not caring.
(Maybe "up to that time" is an AmE meaning of 'by'?)

 

[Rover_KE]

(Maybe "up to that time" is an AmE meaning of 'by'?)


​

It means the same in BrE, too.

Rover​

 

[Raymott]

(Maybe "up to that time" is an AmE meaning of 'by'?)


​

It means the same in BrE, too.

Rover​

The same as what? "At that time" or "Up to that time"?
In AusE, "By Monday" means "When Monday comes", not "Up until Monday".
"You must know the answer by Monday" means "When Monday comes, you must know the answer" not "Up until Monday, you must know the answer" (and then you can forget about it).
"By Monday, she was past caring" implies that before Monday she was building up to a stage of being beyond caring, and when Monday came, she had reached that stage. It doesn't mean she was past caring on Sunday, although that is not ruled out by the phrase.

 

[billmcd]

The same as what? "At that time" or "Up to that time"?
In AusE, "By Monday" means "When Monday comes", not "Up until Monday".
"You must know the answer by Monday" means "When Monday comes, you must know the answer" not "Up until Monday, you must know the answer" (and then you can forget about it). OR "You have until Monday (up to the time [day of Monday]) to get the answer.
"By Monday, she was past caring" implies that before Monday (OR up to the time of Monday) she was building up to a stage of being beyond caring, and when Monday came, she had reached that stage. It doesn't mean she was past caring on Sunday (obviously, because Sunday precedes Monday), although that is not ruled out by the phrase (I would infer that it does rule it out in that example).

My notes are based on AmE usage.