pedestrian

adjective

pe·des·tri·an | \ pə-ˈde-strē-ən

Definition of pedestrian

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : commonplace, unimaginative his sentences and phrases are too often pedestrian, commonplace, and flat — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

2a : 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

noun

Definition of pedestrian (Entry 2 of 2)

: a person going on foot : walker

Synonyms & Antonyms How Should You Use pedestrian? More Example Sentences Learn More about pedestrian

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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

Walk down to El Paseo de la Princesa, which leads to the Paseo del Morro, a pedestrian path that runs along the edge of the islet to Castillo del Morro. — Sara Clemence, WSJ, "Puerto Rico on the Rebound: A Three-Day Getaway Guide," 26 Dec. 2018 This easy access to Palm Beach’s most popular pedestrian space will not only benefit the train passengers but also residents of a new 24-story tower, which is planned to open in the fall. — Meryl Kornfield, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Brightline train stations boost new development in South Florida's downtowns," 3 July 2018 Sacramento Regional Transit has agreed to give the city a nearly 5-mile stretch of unused train corridor to create a dedicated bike and pedestrian trail through neighborhoods south of downtown. — Tony Bizjak, sacbee, "Sacramento's new bike trail through South Land Park clears major hurdle toward 2021 opening," 27 Feb. 2018 The contractor for a pedestrian bridge at Florida International University that collapsed is plotting a return to the construction business while negotiating a bankruptcy settlement fund for those killed or injured in the accident. — Andrew Scurria, WSJ, "Florida Contractor Seeks Bankruptcy Deal Over Fatal Bridge Collapse," 6 Mar. 2019 The sidewalks, the street, everything about Broward Boulevard needs to be much more pedestrian and bike friendly. — Meryl Kornfield, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Brightline train stations boost new development in South Florida's downtowns," 3 July 2018 The street will be pedestrian only from Arlington Street to Massachusetts Avenue, according to Walsh’s office. — Danny Mcdonald, BostonGlobe.com, "Newbury Street will be car-less on these three days this summer," 19 May 2018 This team has been flaky enough at times to suggest it’s capable of a stinker, and its numbers on offense and defense are decidedly pedestrian. — Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, "Kentucky is overwhelming favorite for Final Four despite John Calipari's mind games," 21 Mar. 2018 Glove compartments with traditional key locks have been around for decades, but in 2018, that method is simply too pedestrian. — Tony Markovich, Car and Driver, "Touch and Go: Mulliner Offering Fingerprint-Lockable Storage in Bentley Bentayga," 19 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Waves of pedestrians cross the three-lanes to enter Central Park. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "The future of urban mobility will be shaped by these six issues," 18 Dec. 2018 Pennsylvania Avenue, and Lafayette Park, had been cleared of pedestrians, who usually congregate in front of the White House for pictures or protests, as is custom when foreign leaders or other dignitaries are staying at Blair House. — David Nakamura, The Seattle Times, "Trump uses eight-vehicle motorcade to travel 250 yards to greet George W. Bush," 4 Dec. 2018 Streets had little traffic, and a smattering of pedestrians took strolls. — Arian Campo-flores, WSJ, "‘Extremely Dangerous’ Hurricane Michael Gains Strength, Approaches North Florida," 10 Oct. 2018 The number of pedestrians killed in crashes involving SUVs has skyrocketed by 81 percent in the last decade, according to a report released earlier this year by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "Fewer people died in car crashes in 2017, but the outlook is still grim," 3 Oct. 2018 The Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade A popular Atlanta tradition, the Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade brings tens of thousands of lantern-holding pedestrians together to march down the Atlanta BeltLine ’s Eastside Trail. — Allison Weiss Entrekin, Condé Nast Traveler, "What to Do in Atlanta in September 2018," 5 Sep. 2018 The blast from a bomb planted in a private luxury car exploded in Mogadishu’s Hodan district, killing the driver and injuring a nearby pedestrian, said police Col. — Abdi Guled, The Seattle Times, "Bomb in Somalia’s capital kills 1, injures another," 26 Mar. 2019 Deliveries will be monitored, and the robots will have speakers and cameras to help navigate their routes and detect pedestrians. — Jennifer Smith And Paul Ziobro, WSJ, "FedEx to Test Robot for Same-Day Delivery," 27 Feb. 2019 Screen resolutions for the various models range from a pedestrian 1366x768 (HD) to the more common 1920x1080 (Full HD). — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "Lenovo's latest IdeaPads offer Intel, AMD, and an Nvidia mystery," 24 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pedestrian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.