This is the 12253rd most frequent German word.
vergangenen
"Vergangenen" means "past" or "previous" in English.
In this sentence, 'vergangenen' is used as a plural adjective in the dative case combined with the preposition 'in den'. It describes 'Wochen' by indicating that they are from the past.
In den vergangenen Wochen hatte es viel geregnet.
In the past weeks, it had rained a lot.
Here, 'vergangenen' is used as a plural adjective in the nominative case, meaning 'past', to describe 'Tage', emphasizing that these days have recently gone by.
Die vergangenen Tage waren sehr hektisch.
The past days were very hectic.
In this example, 'vergangenen' is an adjective in the accusative case describing 'Zeiten', referring to times that have already passed.