pedestrian

1 of 2

adjective

pe·​des·​tri·​an pə-ˈde-strē-ən How to pronounce pedestrian (audio)
1
: commonplace, unimaginative
his sentences and phrases are too often pedestrian, commonplace, and flatThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
2
a
: going or performed on foot
pedestrian traffic
a pedestrian tour of the village
b
: of, relating to, or designed for walking
a pedestrian mall
a pedestrian bridge

pedestrian

2 of 2

noun

: a person going on foot : walker

Did you know?

How Should You Use pedestrian?

Most of us know pedestrian as a noun meaning someone who travels on foot. But the adjective sense of pedestrian as defined here is actually its original meaning. To be pedestrian was to be drab or dull, as if plodding along on foot rather than speeding on horseback or by coach. Pedestrian is often used to describe a colorless or lifeless writing style, but it can also describe politicians, public tastes, personal qualities, or possessions. In comparison with the elaborate stage shows put on by today's rock artists, for instance, most of the stage presentations of 1960s rock stars seem pedestrian.

Examples of pedestrian in a Sentence

Adjective He lived a pedestrian life, working at the paper mill and living in his trailer. pedestrian concerns like paying the bills and getting the kids to school on time Noun The car slid off the road and almost hit a group of pedestrians.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Elsewhere, deluxe yellow gold chains, with and without diamonds, were ubiquitous, but hardly pedestrian. Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 15 June 2023 Almost exactly 24 hours after the 2016 CZ31 event, at 7:37 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 30, the much larger 2013 CU83 asteroid, this one as big as 1,050 feet across, will swing by Earth at a relatively pedestrian 13,100 miles per hour, at over 3 million miles away. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 27 July 2022 The eRV2 has a range of just 108 miles, which is even less than the e-RV’s rather pedestrian 125-mile range. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 19 Jan. 2023 By comparison, Voyager I, one of the fastest probes humans have ever deployed, travels at a relatively pedestrian 38,000 mph. Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2020 One morning in April, Pavel Golub, the owner of a mobile-phone-accessory shop in town, walked to the pedestrian bridge and joined a large crowd of people waiting for some kind of official announcement. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2023 Her accomplishments include securing funding for a pedestrian bridge over Route 50 in 2009 and shepherding through the construction of the Bailey’s Upper Elementary School inside a former office building. Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2023 Additionally, a hike and bike trail with a pedestrian bridge will be installed along the top of the gabion wall as part of the Chisholm Trail expansion along Spring Creek. Dallas News, 22 Nov. 2022 The apartments would be above first-floor commercial spaces and would be wrapped around a 352-space parking garage connected by a pedestrian bridge to the nearby CTfastrak station. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 Dec. 2022
Noun
There is also money for a coastal rail bikeway connecting UC San Diego and job centers to the north, as well as bicycle, pedestrian and traffic-calming enhancements to the western portion of Lomas Santa Fe Drive in Solana Beach. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024 Start with a walk or peddle over the Big Dam Bridge, the continent's longest pedestrian and cycling bridge. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 As part of a broader effort to protect cyclists, pedestrians and drivers, the city has made safety-enhancing improvements on 21st Street north of the crash that killed Johnston. Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation says this type of interchange dramatically reduces vehicle collisions, accommodates more traffic, and better meets the needs of large trucks, pedestrians and cyclists. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 Keep in mind that Dubai isn’t the greatest city for pedestrians — and, while Dubai Design District (or D3), a creative hub of designers and cool cafés, is just behind The Lana, a knot of futuristic highways separate the two (although plans are in the works for a shuttle service). Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024 Detroit, for example, with over a dozen people on its grant staff, it's won about $50 million to slow down drivers and protect pedestrians and cyclists. USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 The partners plan to bring back a historic look, inside and out, as well as pedestrian traffic to the block’s wide sidewalks. Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Mar. 2024 Authorities were looking for the person who on Wednesday night fatally struck a pedestrian in north Phoenix and fled. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pedestrian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Latin pedestr-, pedester, literally, going on foot, from ped-, pes foot — more at foot

First Known Use

Adjective

1716, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pedestrian was in 1716

Dictionary Entries Near pedestrian

Cite this Entry

“Pedestrian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedestrian. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pedestrian

1 of 2 adjective
pe·​des·​tri·​an pə-ˈdes-trē-ən How to pronounce pedestrian (audio)
1
: not interesting : ordinary
2
a
: going on foot
b
: of, relating to, or designed for walking
pedestrian traffic
a pedestrian mall
pedestrianism
-trē-ə-ˌniz-əm
noun

pedestrian

2 of 2 noun
: a person who is walking
Etymology

Adjective

from Latin pedestr-, pedestris "going on foot," from ped-, pes "foot" — related to centipede, impede, pawn entry 1, pedal

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