pedestrian
Americannoun
adjective
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going or performed on foot; walking.
-
of or relating to walking.
-
lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction, etc.; commonplace; prosaic or dull.
a pedestrian commencement speech.
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Usage
What does pedestrian mean? A pedestrian is a person who travels by foot—a walker. The term is especially used in the context of road safety to distinguish people walking from people driving or riding bikes.In this sense, the word is also commonly used as an adjective to refer to things involving pedestrians, such as in pedestrian crossing, pedestrian safety, and pedestrian walkway.Example: Pedestrians will continue to be struck by cars unless we improve and enforce pedestrian safety laws. Pedestrian is also a negative term for something considered mediocre, uninspired, or lacking in originality. It’s especially used in artistic criticism, such as in reviews of music, movies, fashion, or food. Calling something pedestrian is typically considered an insult.Example: Don’t you think that sweater is a little pedestrian? You want to dress to impress, right?
Other Word Forms
- nonpedestrian noun
Etymology
Origin of pedestrian
1710–20; < Latin pedestri- (stem of pedester on foot, derivative of pēs (stem ped- ); pedi- ) + -an
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
David: Another dismal pedestrian performance from Rangers, how fans can pay to watch that team every week is beyond me.
From BBC
But Shakespeare as a brand remains unparalleled in our culture: Mere invocation of his work can confer a warm, orangey glow of importance upon an otherwise pedestrian reflection on it.
The National Guard troops almost always worked in groups of two or more, often standing on street corners or walking together, letting pedestrians go about their days.
The government hopes that growth will exceed the solid pedestrian predictions of 1.5%.
From BBC
She was hired just four months before the park opened but is credited as refining its pedestrian flow and crafting the gardens that eased transitions between Disneyland’s central hub and its lands.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
