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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Android 15’s second beta release has other notable additions today that didn’t make it to the relatively pedestrian first release. Umar Shakir, The Verge, 15 May 2024 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
Noun
The pedestrian, later identified as 74-year-old Anne Rapkin of West Hartford, had apparent serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to an area hospital where she was later pronounced dead, Juda said. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 28 Nov. 2024 Picture self-driving cars that don’t just avoid accidents but make real-time ethical decisions to prioritize the safety of the most vulnerable road users—pedestrians, cyclists, and animals—based on context-sensitive reasoning. Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pedestrian 

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 14 Dec. 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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