pedestrian

1 of 2

adjective

pe·​des·​tri·​an pə-ˈde-strē-ən 

1

: commonplace, unimaginative

his sentences and phrases are too often pedestrian, commonplace, and flat

—The 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.

Synonyms

Adjective

• arid
• boring
• colorless
• drab
• dreary
• drudging
• dry
• dull
• dusty
• flat
• heavy
• ho-hum
• humdrum
• jading
• jejune
• leaden
• mind-numbing
• monochromatic
• monotonous
• numbing
• old
• ponderous
• slow
• stale
• stodgy
• stuffy
• stupid
• tame
• tedious
• tiresome
• tiring
• uninteresting
• wearisome
• weary
• wearying

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

Yet New England's 14-2 record and a defense that allowed the league's fewest points were not necessarily indicative of true dominance, as the team displayed a pattern of frequently doing just enough to win, the average margin of victory a fairly pedestrian 10.3 points. —Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024

That left me having to read through the manual, on paper even, a decidedly pedestrian introduction to this flashy gadget. —Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 6 July 2023

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

Phrases Containing pedestrian

• pedestrian crossing
• pedestrian/foot traffic

Kids Definition

pedestrian

1 of 2 adjective

pe·​des·​tri·​an pə-ˈdes-trē-ən 

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