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

The goal of the assessment will be to make the area more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly, safer for traffic, and tie the area together. — Denise Coffey, Courant Community, "Thompson Awarded $170,000 Brownfield Remediation Grant," 10 July 2018 Vehicular and pedestrian access to hotels and businesses in the vicinity will remain open. — Bruce Selcraig, San Antonio Express-News, "I-10 and downtown highway closures may snarl your weekend," 29 June 2018 Employees are encouraged to monitor local news media for announcements on street closures for vehicular and pedestrian traffic and disruptions to public transportation. — Eric Yoder, Washington Post, "Federal government open Tuesday, but agencies encouraged to grant employees time off to view Capitals parade," 11 June 2018 These operations hope to raise pedestrian safety awareness for drivers and pedestrians through education and enforcement of pedestrian right-of-way laws. — Rosemarie Stein, OregonLive.com, "Portland Wednesday Traffic: ODOT offers open house on upcoming bridge replacement in Troutdale," 30 May 2018 Many San Francisco pedestrians, especially seniors and people with disabilities need more time to get across streets, said Cathy DeLuca, policy and program director for Walk SF, a pedestrian advocacy group. — Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Pedestrian safety: SF’s plan to increase crossing times between signals," 9 May 2018 As more people look for alternatives to driving to work, Kittleman said there need to be more pedestrian and bike paths throughout the county. — Kate Magill, Columbia Flier, "Diversity in Howard's business base, regional cooperation touted at forum," 26 Apr. 2018 Parma Economic Development Officer/Grant Writer Shelley Cullins said residential feedback from the first meeting held late last year included an interest in making the area more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. — John Benson, cleveland.com, "Parma seeking community input at second Town Center Master Plan meeting," 16 Apr. 2018 And don’t think the beverages will be pedestrian, either. — Connie Ogle, miamiherald, "Broward is getting a luxury movie theater complete with reclining pods and cocktails | Miami Herald," 8 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail, completed in 2013, is an eight-mile loop of pedestrian and bike paths in downtown Indianapolis. — Sarah Gish, kansascity, "Will Kansas City ever be bike-friendly? The city is about to roll out a plan," 13 July 2018 By next summer, the drawbridge will be completely closed to vehicles and pedestrians for up to 30 days, but a 90-day notice will be provided before the closure. — Wayne K. Roustan, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Andrews Avenue drawbridge overhaul to last until 2020," 13 July 2018 The commission said three types of fence were proposed — eight-foot black metal ornamental pedestrian fencing, eight-foot black metal ornamental vehicle-rated fencing, and twelve-foot black vinyl-coated chain-link fencing. — Michael E. Ruane, Washington Post, "Plans for new Zoo fence and entrance put on hold," 12 July 2018 Cyclists and pedestrians will still be allowed through. — Adam Vaccaro, BostonGlobe.com, "Commonwealth Avenue bridge project returns in late July," 11 July 2018 On March 18, the Tempe, Ariz., police released a video of the fatal accident involving a pedestrian and an Uber self-driving vehicle. — Greg Bensinger, WSJ, "Uber Cuts More Test Drivers in Its Robot Car Operation," 11 July 2018 The others were charged with being a pedestrian in the roadway and and disorderly conduct. — Steve Burns, ajc, "ICE protesters clash with Atlanta police during immigration march; 6 arrested," 6 July 2018 But be careful — lobbing a ball into a pedestrian can send said ball veering into unusual directions. — Todd Martens, latimes.com, "'Mario Tennis Aces' and the love of low-stakes competition," 12 July 2018 Since pizza is also Italian he was pointed toward such pedestrian delights as Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, Cici's Pizza, and Sbarro. — Craig Hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "J.J. Watt asked for the best Italian restaurant in Houston and Olive Garden won out," 6 July 2018

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.